Star Wars Altered Universe: Episode III5
by Scott W. Ferguson
Summary: Two years after the birth of their twins, Anakin and Padme Skywalker's adventure continues, as Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice go missing on a mission of great importance, and the dark shadow of betrayal looms over the Jedi Order once more. Romance / Action / Adventure. The sequel to AU Episode III.
1. Chapter 1

**Star Wars Altered Universe**

_**AU Episode III.5: Trial By Fire**_

By Scott Ferguson

Star Wars, all Star Wars characters, and the Star Wars universe

are Copyright © by George Lucas and Lucasfilms, Ltd.

_**To my friends and readers**_

_AU Episode III.5 is, quite frankly, my favorite stories in this series. In Episodes II and III, there were particular elements of the story that needed to unfold, in many ways, as they did in the original canon. But this story is different; I have a blank canvas, and, given that Anakin, Padm__é__, and the others are growing and evolving into distinctly different people, I can take it pretty much anywhere I want to go, as long as the intentions and powers of the Dark Side were, of course, considered and applied. _

_I hope you'll all enjoy the adventure as it continues!_

_May the Force be with you all!_

…_Scott_

_**Chapter 1**_

This wasn't supposed to happen.

Her heart pounding in her ears, Shanda struggled once more to free herself from their steel-handed grasp; it was a useless gesture, she already knew that. The two troopers that held her were much larger than she was, and even if she'd called on the Force for help, there would have been little she could have done before the other two killed her master in response.

Over the hum of the turbolift, she felt the troopers hands tighten around her arms once more as he jerked her harshly back in place. "Try that once more," he said, his voice tinny and hollow inside his helmet, "and _he'll _be the one who pays for it."

Glancing over through the disheveled auburn hair that hung over her eyes, she and Obi-Wan exchanged a long, worried glance. He looked awful; Micah Elisar's guards had taken their master's orders with a great deal of excited fervor, and it showed. Though she'd begged and pleaded with them to stop, they'd beaten him unmercifully for nearly an hour. His face was a mass of cuts and bruises, and she could barely see his blue eyes as he looked back at her, his eyelids swollen and bloody.

_Patience, young one. Use the Force. Stay calm, all will be well._

She swallowed hard, managing a weak nod as she felt the turbolift whine to a stop. She'd heard her master's inner voice speak to her, so clearly that she was surprised the guards hadn't heard it. As the doors slid open, she tried as hard as she could to obey that calm, quiet command, and she reached – as deeply as she ever had – into the Force as the guards led them out of the turbo lift and into the _Sepulcher's _large, round command chamber.

Her heart pounding as they shuffled her along behind Obi-Wan, Shanda could see the orange-red glow of Tatooine's upper hemisphere through the massive viewport as the planet spun lazily below them, a stark contrast to the blackness of space that loomed above. She could feel the deck rumbling below her boots, feel the power of the great Imperial flagship as it orbited the planet slowly, dozens of other ships gathering around it, with swarms of small fighters milling about them, like bees around a hive.

The troopers shoved them up the stairs, and Shanda stumbled more than once as they pushed her along, until she found herself standing at Obi-Wan's side at the top of them, a short distance away from a large, ornate chair that faced the viewport in front of them. Though she'd tried as hard as she could to steel herself, prepare herself for what she knew awaited them on the long journey up to the ship, she felt her heart stop as she saw the doorway across from them slide open… and the dark figure that entered.

She tried to step back, yet the troopers stopped her cold as she watched Darth Vader approach, his long cloak swirling around his boots as he strode defiantly toward them. Overwhelmed with fear, she felt tears sting her eyes, and had it not been for the touch of Obi-Wan's hand as he reached down and took hers tightly, she would very well have begun to sob right then.

Her eyes swung back to the chair in front of them as she heard a dark, sinister voice. "How very touching," the voice said as the chair began to turn slowly toward them, "to see how deeply you care for your young apprentice, Master Kenobi."

The chair completed its turn, and with a flick of a pale finger it stopped. Obi-Wan squeezed Shanda's hand a little tighter as she stood there trembling at his side, both of them watching as Emperor Palpatine smiled ruefully back at them, yellow eyes glowing from beneath his dark, thickly corded hood. "Welcome, young one," Palpatine said, smiling sweetly at Shanda as he gestured toward Darth Vader, as the Dark Lord's apprentice came and stood beside him. "I understand your master's devotion to you, more than you might realize," he continued, his pale hand coming to rest on the arm of his chair once more. "As you can see, I have an apprentice of my own."

"At long last," Palpatine sighed, his teeth shining in the darkness as his pale lips curled into a twisted grin. "It is indeed good to see you again, Master Kenobi," he said, nodding his head. "As I'm sure you know, we've been looking for you for quite some time. I trust you've found your accommodations thus far… acceptable?"

Obi-Wan shot Palpatine a rather sour smirk, one laced with pain. "Wonderfully so," he snorted, shifting his angry, piercing eyes toward Vader. "I trust I have your apprentice to thank for such a hospitable reception?"

"Quite the contrary," Emperor Palpatine replied nonchalantly, chuckling under his breath. "Lord Vader would very likely have killed you the moment he saw you, along with your precious young apprentice," he said, shifting his yellow eyes back to Shanda once more. "It is only my hand that has stayed your execution thus far."

"Then I supposed that thanks are in order," Obi-Wan replied, making little attempt to hide the contempt in his voice and his beaten face as he nodded his head toward the Emperor. "Might I ask how long we might expect these… _accommodations_… to be provided?"

"For a while longer, at least," Palpatine replied, rising to his feet and taking several steps toward the badly beaten Jedi Knight. "At least until you've served your purpose," he replied coolly, pausing as he stopped a step or two in front of them.

Obi-Wan watched, resisting the urge to lash out as Palpatine smiled at Shanda, then patted her gently on the shoulder. _Keep your filthy hands off of her _is what he wanted to tell him; yet he held his tongue. "And what purpose might that be?" he managed to ask, watching as Palpatine turned a now angry face toward him once more.

Palpatine glared at him for a long quiet moment, until his gravelly voice broke the awkward, tense silence once more. "I should think by now even one as dull as you would have been able to muddle his way through the Force to see his destiny," he snorted, turning and making his way back toward his chair once more.

"You will die, soon enough, along with the rest of your Jedi friends that have been helping with your little insurgence," Palpatine stated, his voice as cold and lifeless as a stone as he watched Obi-Wan and Shanda exchange a long, silent glance. "But not until our old friend arrives," he said, his eyes sparkling with hate as his lips curled into a smile again. "Yes, I believe we are long, long overdue for a reunion, and I'm looking forward to it very, very much."

Obi-Wan felt his blood run cold; he closed his eyes, swallowing hard as he tried to push those feelings – the ones he'd struggled so long to hide – back down inside him. He knew it was hopeless, for he'd already sensed who it was Palpatine wanted.

And he knew he was on the way.

* * *

Anakin awoke, just as the shrill tone of the comlink echoed through their chambers for the second time; he rolled onto his back, quite sleepily, just in time to see Padmé throw her pillow over her face. "Mmmph," she growled, squeezing his bare arm gently as he lay beneath the covers beside her. "Make it stop, Ani," she groaned sleepily, as Anakin yawned and sighed deeply, and then rolled over beside her.

His left arm draped across her bare stomach, he lifted his hand and flicked his fingers with an alacrity totally out of concert with the rest of his body. He barely bothered to open his eyes as the small, cylindrical device leapt from the desk across the room, tumbling into his outstretched palm.

A quick flick of his thumb activated the device. "What?" he groused, eyes still closed as he lay there, his cheek pressed tight against Padmé's chest; as he so often did, he pressed his lips gently to her soft, warm skin, his lips curling into a hint of a smile as he heard the much softer – and contented – moan from beneath her pillow, and then he dropped his cheek back onto her shoulder.

He frowned, as he heard the familiar, nasally voice on the other end. "_Commander Skywalker, this is Lieutenant Howwe."_

As usual, Anakin wasted no time in getting directly to his point. "Do you know what time it is, Lieutenant?" he growled, making little effort to hide his aggravation as he laid there, eyes closed, at Padmé's side. "You weren't supposed to bother me for another three hours, yet."

"_Yes, sir, and I'm sorry to wake you," _Howwe apologized, "_but Commander Fisto says that this is very important. He was the one who requested I wake you."_

Anakin opened his eyes, his brow furrowing a bit. "It better be," he replied, even though he knew full well that Kit – of all people – would have refrained from intruding on their peace and privacy unless it was nothing short of an emergency, especially at a time like this. "What is it?"

"_We'll reach Tatooine in just under two hours, sir," _Howwe continued, as Anakin raised himself up on his elbow once more. He blinked his eyes a few times, giving them a moment to adjust to the pale light of their quarters. "_But long range scans reveal a larger Imperial presence than we'd anticipated."_

Anakin turned his eyes back to Padmé, as he saw her push the pillow from her face and look up at him, sleepily. "More ships?" Anakin asked, as he and Padmé exchanged a quiet glance.

"_Quite a few more, sir," _the lieutenant replied. "_Perhaps it'd be best if you came up here to have a look for yourself."_

Padmé nodded her head, a gentle hand rubbing Anakin's shoulder affectionately. "I'll be there in ten minutes," he said, and, with a quick flick of his thumb, the comlink fell silent once more.

"Just like you thought there'd be," Padmé sighed, her voice still soft and sleepy as Anakin leaned down and kissed her tenderly. I don't know why I'd ever doubt your dreams anymore, anyway," she said, brown curls framing her sleepy face as a gentle hand brushed his cheek. "You'd better get up there," she said, offering him a drowsy, reassuring smile. "They're going to need you."

She knew what he was thinking, even before he'd spoken it out loud. "Everything will be fine, Ani," she said softly, brown eyes sparkling in the dim light as they searched his for a long, quiet moment. She could read his tremor – and his feelings – like a book, and, as always, she'd taken it on herself to be his comforter once again. "You go on, they need you," she whispered, pulling him close and kissing him tenderly once more; the room fell silent for a moment, except for the gentle rumble of the _Talendor's _engines as it slipped through the blackness of space.

"Go," she said again, with a gentle nod of his head. "Go be the leader I know you are," she whispered, gazing up at him proudly. "The leader they need you to be."

Another long moment passed as they stayed there, lost in time, until Anakin finally spoke. "I love you," he replied softly. "And I'll be back as soon as I can," he said, gazing fondly at her as he watched her close her eyes and nod her head again. "Try to get some sleep," he said, and he couldn't help but grin as he watched her roll over onto her side, tucking her arm up under the pillow beneath her head.

"I won't have to try hard," she sighed, as Anakin pulled the bedclothes up over her shoulder and tucked her in. "And I love you, too," she whispered, as he kissed her gently on the cheek once more, then rolled out of the bed and made his way to the washroom.

* * *

"There you are, my friend," Kit Fisto said, turning as he heard the two large metal doors that lead to the ship's command deck slide open. He'd sensed his friend's tremor as he'd neared the room – so strong was it in these recent hours that it was almost impossible not to, no matter how grossly involved in studying the tactical readouts he'd been. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd fallen asleep again," he said, the corner of his mouth curling up into his trademark sarcastic grin, "or become otherwise, shall we say… _engaged_."

Kit chuckled to himself as he saw the smirk Anakin shot him. "Believe me, either one would have been far preferable to this," Anakin sighed, shrugging his shoulders as he straightened his thick brown cloak on them. "So what have we got?" he asked, stepping up between Kit and Aayla, who was still studying the tactical display intently, her lekku twitching like Beldarian sandworms as she did so.

"Plain and simple," Aayla sighed, finally turning her eyes toward Anakin, "A trap. Just like you suspected."

Anakin nodded his head, his brow furrowing as he eyed the holographic display closely. "I was afraid of that," he finally said, nodding his head, disheveled blond hair sweeping around his shoulders. "It's just like my dream. It seems the Empire is expecting us."

"Well, we knew they would be, didn't we?" Kit snorted sarcastically, flashing one set of membranes as he turned his large, coal black eyes back to the arrangement of holographic ships before the. "But Master Yoda knew that wasn't going to stop you, so that's why we're here. But look at this," he said, gesturing toward the large ship near the center of the tactical readout. "I've never seen a ship this large," he said, turning his attention to Lieutenant Howwe, who sat at the nearby command console. "Lieutenant?"

"It appears to be an Imperial ship, sir," Howwe confirmed, more than a bit of concern on his young face as he drew the holoprojector's focus in tighter on the massive vessel. "A new interceptor class, according to our information. We believe it's the new Imperial flagship."

"I guess they weren't happy with what you did to their last one," Aayla chimed in, one eyebrow cocked suspiciously as she glanced back at Anakin.

"Our best technicians estimate she has nearly forty percent more firepower than the standard imperial star cruiser, Commander," Howwe continued, glancing up at the young Jedi Knight as he nodded his head.

"That's where they'll have him, then," Anakin said finally, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he glanced back at his companions. "I'm sure of it."

"I don't understand," Aayla interjected, openly frustrated, as she pounded her clenched fist on the edge of the display. "How do they build stuff like this without us knowing about it?"

Anakin was quick to answer. "He and Dooku commissioned a whole clone army without us knowing about it," he said, blue eyes watching as Aayla sighed, then nodded her head. "In light of that, one ship isn't so far-fetched, now, is it?"

"This complicates things," Anakin continued, wasting no time in getting back to his train of thought.

Kit stood up straight, the light saber that hung at his waist catching the light from the projection in front of them as it swung slowly at his side. "To say the least, Anakin," he said. "The other ships are standing by, awaiting our instructions," he added, his eyes shifting to his friend once more as Aayla looked on. "We've advised them that we may have to abort the mission."

Kit and Aayla were both a bit surprised at Anakin's quick response to this suggestion. "No, we can't do that," he said, shaking his head firmly. "It's now or never."

"Anakin, I appreciate your fervor, but we never planned on this," Aayla said, no longer able to hold her tongue. She gestured toward the display in front of them. "Look at this blockade, they'll have us flanked on both sides when we come out of hyperspace," she said, shaking her head. "There's no way we could take them by surprise, not with that cursed behemoth at the lead. We don't even know what she's capable of, and to be honest, I really don't want to find out."

"We're not going to find out," Anakin replied, quite firmly.

"Anakin, I'm confused," Kit said, taking a step closer to his friend. "What are you talking about?"

Kit watched Anakin for a long moment; he could sense his tremor, could feel Anakin probing the Force around them with a relentless fervor. He looked back at Aayla, a nervous tension filling the room around them until, a few moments later, Anakin's firm voice broke the silence. "Wake the troops," Anakin said, his voice as firm and set as his countenance as he turned his piercing blue eyes to Kit once more. "Have everyone assemble on the flight deck in one hour. Understood?"

Under any other circumstances, Kit would have sought to argue, to reason with his young friend. Indeed, he'd never been one to back away from an argument, no matter how heated; yet this time, he held his tongue, for reasons which he wasn't entirely sure. Perhaps it was the leading of the Force, or possibly the steel-hard resolution he saw in Anakin's eyes as he looked back at him.

Either way, he knew that it was pointless to try to turn Anakin from this path. "Understood," Kit finally replied, and he lifted a hand toward Aayla, effectively silencing her as she opened her mouth to protest. "It will be done as you request, Anakin."

Kit took a step toward Aayla, as Anakin turned and began to stride toward the doorway, with as resolute a purpose as he'd ever seen any man possess. He turned his large eyes back to Aayla, and once again raised his hand as he saw the concern on her face. He knew she intended to protest again, yet it was his own voice that cut her short once more.

"This is a suicide mission, Anakin," Kit called after him, watching him intently as the young Jedi Knight paused, then turned toward him once more. "You and Padmé will never get out of there alive. Why are you doing this?"

"Because Padmé and I didn't go through hell for the past three days to give up on them now, Kit," Anakin replied, a fierce look of determination on his face. He paused, watching as his two friends looked at one another, then back to him as he spoke again.

"And because he'd do it for me."

* * *

_Four Days Earlier_

The sands of time move quickly, no matter what planet you're on.

It had been a long, busy day indeed, and to Anakin, those sands seemed to move exceptionally fast – especially today.

He reached over in the empty seat beside him, rummaging through the small bag he had placed there a few moments earlier; it only took a moment until he finally found the large cluster of gandarra berries near the bottom of the bag. He turned his eyes back toward the narrow roadway as he pulled his hand from the bag, and he leaned back in the seat of his speeder as he popped a couple of the berries he'd plucked from the bag into his mouth.

He had stopped by the market on his way home, at Padmé's request; tonight was a special night indeed, and she'd called him, just as he'd told her she would earlier that morning, with a couple of last-minute requests. He smiled, chuckling quietly to himself, as he popped another of the plump, juicy berries in his mouth; he had promised them both that he would bring them some when he came home, and he knew that they'd be expecting them, since they loved them almost as much as he did.

Anakin took a deep breath and sighed, as he steered the speeder along the narrow, winding roadway that led to their home. It was hard to believe, he thought to himself, as the wind that whipped through the speeder's cockpit tossed his long, blonde hair wildly about, that it had been two years since the day they had arrived.

They'd grown so much, he thought to himself, as he let his mind drift back to that day aboard the _Millenium Falcon_, when he and Padmé had first welcomed them into the world. They had both seemed so tiny, so fragile, when Obi-Wan had carefully wrapped them in those blankets and placed them into her arms just after they were born; their lives had been changed forever in that instant, almost as much as it had been that night on Naboo almost six years ago, when they had first given their hearts to one another.

Many things had changed in the last two years since they had returned home. He wished, with all of his heart, that Padmé's family could have come tonight to help them celebrate Luke and Leia's birthday, yet he understood why they couldn't. It was a long way from Venecia to Bardésha, after all, and, with Ruwee still recovering from a serious bout of Bendalian influenza, they had felt it best if they waited a few weeks and joined them for a belated celebration. Besides, Anakin thought to himself, as much as he loved Padmé's family, there was something about just the four of them being together on this special night that appealed to him greatly.

It had been a difficult adjustment for the both of them at first, when they had made the decision to leave Venecia eighteen months ago; yet, deep down in their hearts, they had both known that, though it was a hard, painful choice, there was no question that it was the right one, and the only one, for the safety of her family as well as their own. Even with Anakin and Artoo's skillful manipulation of the government databases that day in the capital city, it had simply proven too difficult to hide in the city her family had called home for nearly six generations. Padmé's fame and service record were far too well-known, and, after several close calls with a couple of bounty hunters that had been sniffing around the city, they had decided together that it was in everyone's best interest that they relocate, and strike out on their own.

Bardésha was a beautiful village, much like Venecia in many ways. Located in Naboo's southern hemisphere, the weather was warmer most of the year, something that both he and Padmé had come to enjoy. Nestled in a beautiful valley between a large, tree-lined range of mountains and lush forests, it had proven to be both a beautiful, and practical, choice for them.

The people of Bardésha were pleasant and amicable, and they had found it relatively easy to conceal their pasts in this quiet mountain town; it had only taken Anakin a couple of months to reestablish his repair business near the bustling town center, and Padmé had come to enjoy the relative anonymity that this pleasant mountain town offered her. She had allowed the natural curl that had developed in her long, brown hair during her pregnancy to flourish, and it had proved to be enough of a change in her appearance to safely conceal her identity among the quiet, unobtrusive townsfolk; known only to their new friends and acquaintances as Padmé Skywalker, she and the children could now move around the city with relative ease and comfort, something that had given both her and Anakin a great deal of peace of mind.

Anakin popped the last berry in his hand into his mouth, munching contentedly, as he turned the speeder off the main road and onto the stone and dirt pathway that led to their small, comfortable home. They had chosen it carefully, when they had come to this place, and he couldn't imagine that they could have found anyplace that suited them better. He glanced over the side of the speeder, looking down at the crystal clear brook that wound lazily along behind their property as he crossed the small wooden bridge that spanned it; it wasn't as large, or as deep, as the river behind their old homestead, but it was just as beautiful, and as peaceful. Even better, he thought, as he topped the small rise and started down toward the house, Luke and Leia loved it; the warmer, almost tropical weather kept the water at almost the perfect temperature, and Padmé took them both down to play near the water's edge almost every day, with the exception of the few days each week that it rained.

Anakin reached over and pressed the button on the console of his speeder, and he watched as the smaller door on the front of the small hangar that stood about a hundred meters from their home began to lift slowly; he backed off of the throttle and, timing it perfectly just as he always did, brought the speeder just under the edge of the door and cut the engines, kicking up a small cloud of dust as the breaking dampers fired and the speeder dropped down onto its supports with a solid thump.

He blinked his eyes several times, giving them a moment to adjust to the soft light that filtered through the three small skylights in the roof above him; he reached over and picked up the bag from the seat beside him as he climbed quickly out of the speeder, and he looked up at the ship beside him as he suddenly heard a familiar voice call to him.

"Master Ani," Threepio called, standing in the doorway of the small, silver ship. "Thank goodness you're home!"

"What's the problem, Threepio?" Anakin asked, looking at his mechanical friend with a grin as he tucked the bag in his hand into the crook of his right arm and walked around the front of the speeder toward the ship.

"It's that overbearing little astrodroid of yours again, Master Ani," Threepio said, waving his arms agitatedly as Anakin walked slowly up the ramp into the ship. "I tried to tell him all afternoon that he needed to wait on you to return this evening before he tried to install that new transmitter," he complained, shuffling along quickly behind Anakin as he made his way through the small crew cabin toward the cockpit, "but he simply won't listen."

"I told him that Mistress Padmé would need to use the ship's transmitter later this evening," Threepio wailed, as he followed Anakin into the cockpit. "But he insisted on starting the repairs, anyway."

Anakin sighed, shaking his head slowly as he heard the long, electronic raspberry that came from the cockpit in reply to Threepio's anxious, agitated voice; many things may have changed in the last two years, but the strained, yet generally friendly relationship between Artoo and Threepio wasn't one of them.

"You two are almost as bad as Luke and Leia," Anakin chuckled to himself, as he placed the bag in his arm down in the copilot's seat of the small ship and glanced over toward the main communications console in the corner of the cockpit; he sighed again, reaching up and running his fingers slowly through his hair as he saw the huge, tangled array of wires and cables strewn about the cockpit floor.

"Artoo," he sighed, shaking his head as he walked over and gazed at his little astrodroid with a resigned smirk, "Did you really need to take the whole ship apart just to install a new transmitter?"

Anakin glanced over at the small display on the console in front of him, as Artoo swung his dome back toward him, a long string of beeps, clicks and whistles ensuing as Anakin knelt beside him and slapped him gently on top of his sensor dome.

"The emitter coil was bad?" Anakin asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise as he saw Artoo's message scroll quickly across the tiny display in front of him. "Are you sure?"

Anakin sighed, nodding his head slowly as another long, angry string of whistles and clicks followed. "I'm sorry, Artoo," he chuckled, patting his little droid's dome reassuringly. "Yes, I know that you wouldn't pull a perfectly good coil if there wasn't something wrong with it."

"But Threepio's right this time," Anakin said, standing up and dusting his hands on his pants. "It's Luke and Leia's birthday, remember? Padmé's going to want to try to contact her family later tonight, so we need that transmitter working," he said, walking over and picking up his bag from the copilot's seat.

"And if it's not," he said, turning back his little round companion with a serious expression as he tucked his bag into the crook of his arm again, "you're going to have the wrath of one very angry mother to deal with. Understand?"

Artoo sat quietly for a moment; Anakin and Threepio both watched him as he swung his dome back toward the mess of wires and circuit boards around him, and then back toward the two of them again.

Anakin couldn't help but laugh as he heard the short, electronic _uh-oh_ from his little friend as he suddenly turned his attention back to the mass of circuits in front of him and returned to work, a huge array of sparks flying from his fusing probe as he began to fuse circuits at an almost alarming rate.

"Don't worry, Threepio," Anakin chuckled, turning his attention toward his tall silver friend and patting him soundly on the shoulder. "I think he'll have it working in time for Padmé's call later tonight."

"But keep an eye on him," Anakin called, glancing back over his shoulder as he walked quickly back toward the ship's entry ramp. "And don't let him off the ship until he's finished, understand?"

"Very clearly, Master Ani," Threepio called with a firm nod, his electronic eyes following Anakin as he trotted down the ramp and out of the ship.

"Well, you heard Master Ani, you overconfident little troublemaker," Threepio chided, as he shuffled up quickly to Artoo's side. "And you'd better hope you get that transmitter back together in time for Mistress Padmé to make her call this evening," he said, rapping Artoo soundly atop is shiny silver dome. "Or you're going to be in quite a lot of trouble."

"I saw Mistress Padmé at her exercises the other evening," Threepio said, leaning a little closer to his little round companion as he worked. "She's becoming quite a powerful Jedi, you know," he said, a tone of keen satisfaction in his electronic voice. "I wouldn't want to be in your place if that transmitter fails to work."

Artoo sighed, as well as a droid could, quickly surveying the mess on the cockpit floor around him one more time with his sensors; he swung his dome back toward the console in front of him after a long moment and went back to work, his probe sending another huge plume of sparks flying through the cockpit around them.

* * *

"There he is," Anakin heard her playful, excited voice call, as he stepped out of the hangar and into the bright afternoon sunlight. "Go get him!"

He turned his attention toward the house, as he heard her soft, pleasant voice; he smiled, laughing quietly to himself, as he suddenly saw the bright-eyed, sandy-haired little boy that ran, somewhat slowly and clumsily, through the tall grass toward him. He took a few steps toward him and, dropping quickly to his knee and placing the bag in his arm on the ground beside him, he threw his arms open wide and caught him, hugging him tightly as he scooped him up into his arms.

"There's my boy," Anakin sighed, closing his eyes as he felt his son throw his arms tightly around his neck and squeeze him tightly. "Happy birthday, Luke," he said, kissing his son firmly on the cheek as he grinned back at him. "Did you have a good day?"

"Mm,hmm," Luke replied softly, nodding his head sheepishly; Anakin smiled again, as Luke turned his attention to his mother and pointed his tiny finger at her. "Mommy!" he exclaimed, looking back at his father with a grin.

"I see Mommy," Anakin laughed, turning his attention to Padmé as she walked up to him; he closed his eyes, as she stepped up to him and kissed him tenderly for a long moment.

"Welcome home, Daddy," Padmé said, opening her beautiful brown eyes as their lips finally parted. "We've been waiting for you all afternoon," she said, looking down at her little dark-haired daughter as she hid playfully behind her skirt. "Haven't we, Leia?"

"Waiting for me?" Anakin said, as Padmé reached down and picked up Leia, hoisting her up into her arms and placing her on her hip.

"Now what in the world would you be waiting on me for?" he asked, as he leaned forward and kissed Leia gently on her cheek. "Happy birthday to you too, sweetheart," he said, reaching up and brushing his hand through her fine, dark hair as she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her tightly, giggling quietly.

"You know very well what they've been waiting on," Padmé laughed, watching as Luke leaned over his father's arm and pointed to the bag on the ground at his feet as his bright, excited eyes suddenly caught site of it. "They've been standing at the back door watching for you ever since I told them you were bringing them their favorite surprise."

"Berwees!" Luke exclaimed excitedly, leaning over Anakin's arm and reaching toward the bag that rested near his father's boots with all his might.

"Hold on there," Anakin chuckled, grabbing hold of his son tightly as he pulled him back up securely into his arms. "Wait till we get in the house, okay?" he said, looking back at Luke with a grin.

Anakin looked down and stretched his hand out toward the bag beside him, and Padmé smiled slyly as the bag suddenly leapt from the ground and into his outstretched hand.

Anakin looked back at Luke, as he started to laugh and bounce excitedly in his arms. "You like it when I do that, don't you?" he laughed, grinning as widely as his son was.

"I thought we weren't supposed to let them see us do that," Padmé said, tossing him a sly smirk as he grinned sheepishly back at her.

"Well, today's a special day," Anakin said, tussling Luke's hair as he bounced him playfully in his arms. "Besides," he said, shaking his head slowly and looking back at Padmé, "They probably won't remember much of this anyway."

"You_ hope_," Padmé chuckled, as she walked slowly along beside him as they made their way up toward the house. "If they do," she said, wrapping her left arm tightly around his waist as she walked, "we're both going to be in a lot of trouble."

* * *

"Leia!" Padmé exclaimed, quickly grabbing her napkin and looking at her daughter with a disgusted expression as she took a deep breath and, quite unceremoniously, sprayed a mouthful of food all over the table in front of her.

"Don't do that, honey," she said firmly, shaking her head as she scrubbed her daughter's face with her napkin for the second time this evening; she glanced over at Anakin as she suddenly heard him start to laugh – again.

"And you stop laughing at her," Padmé growled, tossing him a playful frown as he grinned up at her sheepishly, watching as she scrubbed Leia's food covered face with her napkin. "I think she does it because you think it's funny."

"I never said I thought it was funny," Anakin snickered, shaking his head slowly as he leaned down over his plate and laughed, as quietly as he possibly could. "I'm laughing at something else," he said, his eyes twinkling as he caught sight of her sarcastic smirk. He cut his blue eyes quickly over toward his son, as he sat quietly beside him. "Aren't I, Luke?"

Padmé started to laugh, in spite of herself, as she saw the blank look of surprise on her young son's face, as he stared quietly at his sister, his own small face and hands covered in food as he chewed, very slowly, watching Leia as she continued to blow raspberry after raspberry into her mother's napkin.

"Stop it, Leia," Padmé laughed, gazing back at her daughter with a hopeless, pleading expression. "Even your brother is looking at you like there's something wrong with you."

"You need to eat and stop playing," Padmé said, still chuckling quietly to herself, as she placed her napkin on the table and picked up the spoon near Leia's plate again, scooping up another mouthful of food from her daughter's plate.

Anakin watched, with great amusement, as Padmé brought the small spoon to Leia's mouth; he'd witnessed this little battle, time and time again, and it never ceased to entertain him.

"Come on, honey," Padmé coaxed sweetly, as her daughter pursed her lips tightly and turned her head away as she brushed the spoon against them. "You haven't eaten hardly anything."

Padmé sighed again, as Leia shook her head and turned away again. "I give up," she sighed, dropping the spoon on Leia's plate and flopping back in her own chair, looking over at Anakin with a sad, defeated frown as he reached down into his lap and picked up his own napkin. "I'm a terrible mother. She's just going to starve."

"No, she's not, and you're a wonderful mother," Anakin chuckled, shaking his head as he wiped his mouth on his napkin and stood up from his chair. Padmé watched him as he picked up his plate and walked over beside her. "Come on, switch places," he said with a smile, leaning down and kissing her gently on the cheek. "I know what she wants."

"Don't be so sure," she sighed, glancing up at him with a resigned, defeated smirk as she picked up her plate and stood up from her chair. "She's been like this all day long."

"She just wants Daddy to help her with dinner tonight," Anakin said, looking at his daughter with a grin as he sat down next to her. "Don't you, sweetheart?"

Padmé watched him as she sat down in his chair and placed her plate on the table in front of her. "I think she wants Daddy to help her with everything," she sighed, switching their glasses as Anakin picked up the spoon from Leia's plate. "Maybe you should just start taking her to work with you everyday."

"Well, that might not be a bad idea," he said, winking at his daughter as she grinned up at him. "You'd just attract all kinds of customers, wouldn't you, sweetheart?" he said, gently rubbing the spoon against Leia's food-covered lips.

Padmé shook her head with amazement as, without so much as a whimper, Leia opened her mouth and took the bite of food her father offered her. "There we go," Anakin said, looking at his daughter with a huge grin. "See, Mom?" he said, glancing back at Padmé slyly. "We _were_ hungry, after all."

"You're cheating," Padmé snorted, frowning back at him playfully. "I saw you wave your hand when you sat down in front of her," she chuckled, shaking her head as she finally took a bite of her own dinner.

"Now, you know that wouldn't work," Anakin said, as he scooped up another spoonful of food and shoveled it into Leia's mouth as she opened it widely for him. "That only works on the weak minded," he said, shaking his head slowly as he picked up his glass and took a long, thirsty swig. "And you know good and well that Leia is_ far_ from being weak minded."

"No, she definitely isn't that," Padmé laughed, shaking her head as she took a sip from her glass.

"I heard from Beru today," Padmé said, placing her glass on the table again as Anakin continued to shovel spoonful after spoonful of food into Leia's hungry little mouth. "She said that they're planning to have a celebration for Shanda next week, and they wanted to know if we could come."

"She said Shanda really wants us to be there," she said, as she took another bite of her dinner. "But I think it's really Luke and Leia she wants to see."

"Well, of course we'll be there," Anakin said, nodding his head as he managed to sneak a bite of his own dinner. "I wouldn't want to miss that for anything," he said, looking back at Padmé as she picked up Luke's cup and placed it a little closer to him. "When is everything going to be official?"

"Three days from now," Padmé said with a nod, as Luke picked his cup up in his two small, food covered hands and took a long sip. "The ceremony will be a few days after that. Beru is so happy and excited."

"I bet she is," Anakin chuckled, nodding his head again. "Shanda Lars," he said, smiling as he tried his soon-to-be-adopted niece's new name on for size. "It's got a nice ring to it."

"I'm happy for all of them," Padmé said, resting her elbows on the table as she grinned back at him. "She said Obi-Wan's really excited about it, too," she said, turning her attention back to her daughter as Anakin started to feed her again. "She said that he came by earlier this morning to pick Shanda up, and they talked about everything before they left for Anchorhead."

"Were they going to escort another one of the children?" Anakin asked, his expression becoming much more serious for a moment.

"I think so," Padmé said, nodding her head firmly as she brought her glass up to her lips again, pausing for a moment as she took a sip. "Two of them, I think. Beru said he's been taking her with him on most of the escort runs the past few months," she said, placing her glass back on the table in front of her. "I think they only have four more left to relocate, and then that'll be the last of them."

"It's taken a long time," Anakin sighed, nodding his head slowly. "I'm glad it's almost over."

"Me, too," Padmé sighed, with a nod of her head. "Beru worries so much when they go on these things, what with all the close calls Obi-Wan's had the past few months," she said. "She said she knows that it's all part of Shanda's training, but she said she'll be so glad when this part's over."

"I know," Anakin sighed, nodding his head slowly as they gazed at each other thoughtfully for a long moment. "So will I."

"Speaking of things being over," Anakin said, his expression brightening considerably as he took another bite of his dinner, "How's the project coming?"

He smiled, as he watched her raise her eyebrows and take a long, deep breath. "Well," she sighed, "I think I'm almost finished. If I can get a few more hours to work on it, I should be done."

"That's great!" Anakin beamed, watching as she grinned sheepishly at him and poked at the food on her plate nervously with her fork. "Did you make the phase adjustments to the crystals, like we talked about the other morning?"

"I think so," Padmé nodded, pausing as she took another bite of her dinner; she laid her fork down next to her plate as she reached over and picked up the small, damp towel that rested on the table between her and Luke.

Anakin watched her, as she reached over and began to wipe his small, food-covered face and hands. "I ran the spectrum analysis like you told me," she said, smiling at her sandy-haired son as he squirmed and grunted in his chair as she cleaned him up. "Everything looks good, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it turns out."

"I think somebody's just about finished with his dinner," Padmé said, caressing Luke's freshly clean cheek softly as he grinned up at her and banged his small hands soundly on the tray in front of him.

"I think this one is too," Anakin replied, quickly studying Leia's plate as he shoveled one more small bite of food into her mouth.

"Tell you what," Anakin said, as he stood up and picked up Luke and Leia's plates. Padmé took another bite of her dinner, watching as he walked over to the counter in their small kitchen and placed the plates in the sink below the window.

"I'll clean up the kitchen tonight, and give these two their baths," he said, as he picked up the bowlful of freshly washed fruit and walked back to the table. "While I'm doing that, you can see if you can finish it up."

Padmé laughed quietly, as she saw Luke and Leia's small faces light up as their father placed a small handful of the bright red gandarra berries from the bowl on each of their trays in front of them. "There you go, you two," he sighed, gazing at both of his children fondly as he sat the bowl down on the table and took his seat again beside Padmé.

"Are you sure?" Padmé asked, as he picked up a handful of the plump, juicy berries for himself and grinned back at her. "You've been working all day. It's not fair for you to have to come home and…"

She stopped mid-sentence, chuckling quietly to herself, as he leaned over toward her quickly and silenced her with a kiss. "Of course I'm sure," he said, nodding his head as he sat back up in his chair and popped a couple of berries in his mouth. "Besides," he said, looking back at her with a sly grin, "You and I can relax later, together."

"Oh, I _see_," Padmé said, grinning back at him playfully as she watched him smile back at her, munching as happily and contentedly on the juicy red berries as Luke and Leia. She and Anakin both turned their attention to their son, as he suddenly squealed excitedly, and sent a number of the round, red berries flying off his tray toward the table.

Padmé grinned again, shaking her head slowly as Anakin instantly raised his hand, catching two of the errant berries and holding them in the Force a short distance above the table. She watched, her smile growing brighter and brighter, as Luke's bright eyes followed them, completely mesmerized, as the small fruits floated slowly across the table and hung, perfectly still, just an inch or two from his small, beaming face.

"There you go again," she sighed, shaking her head as her son squealed excitedly as he reached up with his small hand and plucked the two berries from the air in front of him. "Master Yoda is going to be _so_ put out with you, if he ever finds out you do this."

"Yeah, well," Anakin chuckled, resting his chin on his hand and he slid the other hand over toward her. "Obi-Wan wasn't too thrilled about it either," he said, winking at her as she took his hand and squeeze it tightly. "But he got over it."

"Eat," Anakin said, nodding toward her plate. They exchanged a long, quiet glance and, giving his hand another squeeze, Padme finally went back to her dinner.

"Oh," she said, looking back up at him as she chewed, "Let me tell you what your son did today."

Anakin took a long, deep breath and sighed, quite contentedly; he glanced over at his two happy children, and then turned his attention back to Padmé as she began to share the events of her day with him. He squeezed her hand again tightly, as he listened to her soft, soothing voice, and felt her soft, warm tremor in his heart.

He couldn't imagine being any happier.

* * *

Padmé reached up and adjusted the small, swing arm lamp that hung over the workbench; she reached up, as soon as she got the lamp where she wanted it, and brushed her long hair back over her shoulder as she turned her attention back to the bench again.

Her padawan braid swung slowly by her left ear, as she reached over and picked up the small, cylindrical power cell that lay on the bench; she took a long, deep breath, as she held it gingerly in her hand for a moment, and then, holding her breath and biting her lip gently, she picked up the smooth, shiny cylinder in her other hand and, with one quick, smooth motion, snapped the power cell into place.

She sighed, quite relieved, as she saw the cell's contacts spark for just an instant, and then sit quietly in its socket in the smooth, polished cylinder. She laid her weapon back down on the table and, reaching over and picking up the cover plate that rested on the bench beside it, she snapped it into place and secured it quickly with two small screws.

She glanced over her shoulder, as she suddenly heard the door to the hangar open; she smiled, as she saw Anakin step through the doorway and close it carefully behind him.

Padmé closed her eyes, as she felt his hands fall gently on her shoulders as he walked up behind her and kissed her softly on the cheek; she laid the smooth, metal cylinder down on the workbench in front of her, as she reached up and took his hands tightly in hers.

"What are you doing out here?" she said, her dark brown eyes sparkling brightly as she looked up over her shoulder at him. "I'm supposed to be doing this on my own, you know," she said, as he looked down at the bench in front of her. "Where are the kids?"

"I didn't come out to help you, don't worry," Anakin said, shaking his head and laughing softly as he leaned closer to her; she closed her eyes and smiled again, sighing contentedly as he wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed her on the cheek again. "And don't worry," he said softly, "They're in their room playing, and Threepio's watching them."

Padmé turned her head toward him, and their eyes met for a brief moment, as she pressed her lips gently to his; she sighed again, reaching up and caressing his cheek gently as she kissed him for a long moment.

"I think you came out here to distract me," she sighed quietly, as she felt that warm, wonderful feeling sweep over them both; she laughed softly, wrapping her arms around his tightly as he moved his soft, passionate kisses down to the nape of her neck.

"So how's it going?" Anakin asked, his voice muffled as he nuzzled her neck and kissed her, gently.

"I… don't… remember," Padmé laughed quietly, as she felt the delightful, tingling sensation of his lips on the nape of her neck. "I think I was building something."

"Sorry," Anakin laughed, hugging her tightly as he turned his attention to the workbench in front of her. "Hey," he said, looking back at her with a grin as his eyes quickly surveyed her weapon as she picked it up gingerly and cradled it, almost reverently, in her hands. "You got the power cell installed."

"Just now," Padmé sighed, nodding her head as he released her from his embrace and stood beside her as she swiveled in her chair to face him. "I haven't tried it out yet," she said, looking up at him a little apprehensively as she placed her weapon into his outstretched hand, "but I think it's all put together right."

Padmé watched as Anakin turned her new light saber slowly over in his hands. "It looks fantastic, Padmé," he said, studying it proudly for a moment. "You really did a great job."

"Well, I had a good teacher," she grinned, looking up at him sheepishly. "But looks are one thing," she sighed. "We still need to find out if it works."

"What about the other one," he asked, as his eyes followed hers to the smaller, unusual looking weapon that lay on the far edge of the workbench. "How's that one coming?"

"I've got the powercell installed, but I still need to connect the other two emitters," Padmé sighed, picking up the strange looking weapon and looking at it with a fairly critical eye. "I'm pretty sure it's ready," she said, nodding her head as she placed it back on the bench, "but I wanted to see if this one worked before I finished it up."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Anakin replied, nodding his head. "You lined up the emitter coil, and hooked up the overload switch in this one like we talked about, right?" Anakin asked, as she nodded her head firmly.

"Yes," Padmé replied. "As far as I know," she said, taking another deep breath and sighing deeply, "It's finished."

"Well," Anakin sighed, as he placed her weapon back into her hand, "I guess it's time we found out if it works," he said, grinning slyly at her. "And if you got the color you wanted."

"Oh, no," she laughed, quite nervously, as she handed the small, delicate weapon back to him again. "I want you to try it out first," she said, smiling nervously up at him. "I want to know what you think, and I want your honest opinion," she said, her expression growing a bit more serious as she gazed up at him. "Don't pull any punches. Promise?"

"Okay, promise," Anakin nodded, as he took a few steps back from the workbench. "You ready?"

"Ready," Padmé said, folding her hands nervously in her lap as she nodded her head slowly. "As I'll ever be."

Anakin smiled back at her for a moment, and then he brought her weapon up in front of him as he pressed the smooth, round igniter switch just below the emitter of her delicate, elegant weapon.

Padmé's look of concern and uncertainty quickly faded, replaced by a bright, excited grin as her weapon blazed forth in her husband's hand, it's thin, brilliant blade humming smoothly as he looked back at her.

"You did it, Angel," Anakin exclaimed, quite proudly, as she lifted her hands to her face and laughed excitedly, as she looked with happy amazement at the dark, cobalt-blue blade of her weapon.

Anakin turned it slowly in his hand as he admired the pure, dark blue color of the thin, humming shaft of light; it was a color as unique as the blades of his own, and it had taken her weeks of tuning and aligning the emitter crystals to get just the color she had chosen on the spectrum analyzer.

She had fashioned her weapon, like every Jedi did, to fit her own physical traits, as well as her fighting style. While similar in both form and design to Anakin's, she had designed the hilt of her weapon to fit her smaller hands. The grip was a bit longer, as she preferred to space her hands a bit more, and was significantly thinner than his, a feat of engineering that had proven to be no small challenge for her. Yet, like everything else that Padmé had done in her life, she had poured every ounce of her abilities and dedication into its design, and her hard work had been supremely rewarded – it was a truly elegant weapon, one that suited the beautiful young woman who was once queen of Naboo perfectly.

Padmé watched with an excited smile, as Anakin swung her weapon smoothly at his side several times, its brilliant, dark blue blade humming smoothly as it sliced through the air. "It's perfect, Padmé," he beamed, as he reached over and took her hand, pulling her up off of the chair where she sat.

"I think it's balanced even better than mine," he said, laughing quietly to himself as he powered her weapon down and handed it to her as she came and stood beside him. "Come on, let's see you try it."

Anakin took several steps back and leaned against the wall of their workshop; he folded his arms tightly across his chest, watching her as she pressed the igniter on her weapon and brought it up in front of her. He laughed again, as he saw the look of complete amazement, and satisfied accomplishment, that spread across his wife's face as, holding her weapon in her hand and balancing it in the crook between her thumb and forefinger, she swung it beside her several times, neatly and smoothly.

"I can't believe it," she giggled, looking back at him with a wide grin as she brought her blade back up in front of her and powered it down. "I did it!"

Anakin grunted, laughing quietly to himself, as she suddenly leapt toward him and flung her arms tightly around his neck. "I did it, Ani," she giggled happily, as she hugged him tightly. "It works!"

"I'm really, really proud of you, Padmé," Anakin said, his face beaming brightly as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and smiled back at her. "You know what this means, now, don't you?"

Padmé looked up at him, her smile softening as she suddenly realized the milestone she had reached in her training. "I'm finished," she said softly, looking up at him and nodding her head slowly as she looked into his eyes. "Aren't I?"

"Yes," Anakin replied, nodding his head slowly. "It's time."

Padmé looked down at the weapon in her hand again, as the full meaning of this moment finally struck her. She smiled, as she turned her weapon slowly over in her hand; it had been a long, hard road, since she had started down this path with Anakin almost two years ago. It was hard to believe, she thought to herself, that she had finally reached the end of it.

"Are you sure I'm ready?" she asked, looking back up at him apprehensively as her eyes searched his for a long moment.

"You've been ready for a while now," Anakin said softly, nodding his head slowly as he reached up and brushed his fingers gently through her long, wavy hair. "You just had to prove it to yourself."

"And you're going to do great," Anakin nodded, as she looked up at him fondly. "I'll call Master Yoda first thing tomorrow," he said, watching her as she took a long, deep breath, and then nodded her head slowly. "And let him know you're ready for your Trials."

"Or, at least I think I will," Anakin said, looking back up at their new ship that rested across the hanger apprehensively. "_If_ Artoo's got the transmitter back together by then."

"If Artoo has _what_ back together?" Padmé asked, glancing over at the ship with a frown. "He better not have broken that transmitter in that ship, not tonight," she said, as she took a step toward the ship. "So help me, I'll…"

"Uh, oh," Anakin sighed, watching her with a grin as she started across the hangar toward the ship, with him following close behind her. "Come on, Artoo," he sighed under his breath, chuckling quietly to himself. "_Please_ have that transmitter back together."

* * *

Anakin leaned against the doorframe of Luke and Leia's bedroom; he folded his arms across his chest, watching as Padmé tucked them both securely into their beds.

"Okay, now," Padmé said, smiling softly as she pulled the blanket up and tucked it securely around her daughter as she sat down gently on the bed beside her. "We've had a big night tonight," she said, reaching up and brushing her hand gently through her daughter's dark, wavy hair and looking over at Luke fondly. "I want the two of you to go to sleep," she said, leaning down and kissing Leia gently on the cheek. "Understand?"

Padmé closed her eyes, sighing deeply as Leia put her small arms around her neck and hugged her tightly. "Luvuu," Leia said softly, grinning up at her mother's face as Padmé tucked her arms back under the thick, soft covers securely.

"I love you too, sweetheart," Padmé said, caressing Leia's small cheek gently. "So very much."

Anakin took a long, deep breath, sighing contentedly, as he watched Padmé stand up and, sitting down on the edge of Luke's bed, tuck him securely under his blanket in like fashion.

"Goodnight, my handsome little boy," Padmé said, as she leaned down and kissed Luke playfully on his cheek as he squirmed and giggled under the bedclothes. She smiled again, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as he, as his sister had before him, flung his small arms tightly around her neck and squeezed her tightly, burying his small, giggling face in his mother's long, wavy hair, as it cascaded over the shoulders of her soft satin nightgown.

"Luvuu too," Luke said, as he flopped over onto his side and buried his face into his pillow, looking up at her sheepishly as she tucked the blanket securely around him.

"And I love you," Padmé said softly, rubbing his small back gently as he sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "Sweet dreams, my love."

Goodnight, you two," Anakin said, as he walked into the room as Padmé stood up. She watched him, smiling softly, as he leaned down and kissed each one of them gently on the cheek.

"Nite," they both said, almost in concert, as he stood up and placed his arm around their mother's waist, pulling her close to him.

They both looked over at Luke, as he suddenly rolled over onto his back, looking up at them with a serious, worried expression on his small face. "Artoo?" he said, glancing over toward the doorway.

"Don't worry," Anakin said, nodding his head as he pointed toward the doorway as he heard the whine of Artoo's motors approaching. "He's coming down the hallway now," he said, as his little astrodroid wheeled slowly through the doorway and took his customary place in the corner of the children's bedroom.

"You're late, Artoo," Padmé said, as she and Anakin walked slowly toward the doorway. "I think they were afraid you weren't coming tonight."

Artoo whistled, quite brightly, as he backed himself into the corner and tucked his center wheel up inside his smooth, round body. He swung his dome toward the doorway, watching as Anakin and Padmé turned and looked back at their children fondly.

"Goodnight, you two," Anakin said, as he reached over and pressed the switch on the control pad near the doorway. "Sleep well."

Artoo swung his large, round sensor dome back toward the children again, and, whistling his customary goodnight as he always did, he switched on his main sensor light, bathing the children's room in a soft, warm glow. He switched on his proximity sensors and, settling himself into his usual diagnostic routine, he began his nightly, silent watch over their two small children, just as he always did, as Anakin quietly closed the door to their room behind him.

* * *

"You know," Padmé said, sliding into bed beside him as he pulled the bedclothes back for her, "I'm almost positive that this has got to be some kind of first."

"Well," Anakin said with a grin, as he reached over and picked up the two long-stemmed glasses of wine that sat on the small table next to their bed. "We're kind of good at those," he said, leaning back against the pillow behind him as he handed one of the glasses to her as she snuggled close beside him.

"What first, specifically, were you referring to this time?" he asked, closing his eyes as she placed her hand gently on his bare chest and kissed him tenderly for a long moment.

"This little celebration," she laughed softly, opening her eyes and snuggling close to him. "I mean, think about it," she said, as she held her glass up next to his and smiled seductively at him. "How many Jedi and their padawans have celebrated like this before?" she giggled, as she watched him start to laugh.

"I see your point," Anakin laughed, as he leaned a little closer to her. "To you," he said softly, as he gazed deeply into her eyes and touched his glass gently to hers.

"To us," Padmé replied, as she looked back at him fondly and raised her glass to her lips.

"To us," Anakin nodded, sighing contentedly; their eyes never parted, as they both took a long sip of the fragrant red wine that he had picked up for them earlier that afternoon.

"Oh, Ani," Padmé said, looking back at her glass, obviously quite pleased with its contents. "This is fabulous. Where did you get this?"

"It_ is_ good, isn't it?" he said, reaching over and placing his glass on the table beside them. "I got it from that new vendor at the market, just down the street from the shop," he said, looking back at her with a grin as she took another long sip from her glass.

"Well, we need to go back and get some more," she said, as she snuggled close to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "We need to keep this around for special occasions," she said. "Like this."

"Every night's a special occasion," Anakin said, reaching over and brushing his fingers lightly across her cheek. "As long as you're here with me."

Padmé looked up at him fondly, as her eyes searched his for a long moment. "Yes, it is," she said softly, as she took another sip from her glass and handed it to him, nodding toward the small table beside their bed.

"You done already?" he asked, taking her glass from her and placing it on the table beside his; he smiled, as he felt her grab hold of his bare shoulders tightly and pull him down in the bed beside her.

"No," she said, softly, as she rolled up onto his chest and gazed fondly at him. "I'll finish it, later," she whispered, as she brushed her fingers slowly through his long, shaggy mane. "But right now, I've got something else on my mind."

"Really?" Anakin grinned, looking up at her as he tucked his arm under his head and leaned back against his pillow. "And what might that be?"

Anakin watched Padmé turn her attention to the lamp that rested on the table near their bedroom window. He reached up and brushed his hand gently over her shoulders, tracing the thin straps of her soft, white satin gown with his fingertips, as she lifted her hand and reached into the Force, just as he had taught her.

He looked up at her fondly, as the lamp's light began to fade quickly, just as he felt her strong soothing tremor deep inside his own heart. They settled down into the soft, thick covers of their bed, their lips locked in a tight, passionate embrace, as the last flicker of light from the lamp faded, in perfect concert, with the fires of passion that blazed brightly inside them.


	2. Chapter 2

"It's going to be a beautiful day today," Padmé said, looking out of the window above their kitchen counter as she placed her plate and cup in the sink. She reached up and brushed her soft, curly brown hair from her eyes and sighed contentedly, looking out of the window and watching as the brilliant morning sunlight filtered through the thick canopy of the trees that surrounded their small home, cascading through the gently swaying ocean of bright green leaves in an ever-changing pattern of shimmering shafts of light.

Anakin sat there just a step or two away, his elbows propped up on the kitchen table. "I was hoping it would be," he said, picking up his cup and taking a long, thirsty swig. "You were planning on spending some time outside today on your exercises, weren't you?" he asked, as she turned from the window and walked across the kitchen to join him. Even at this hour of the morning, it never ceased to amaze him how beautiful she was; he watched her sit down in the chair beside him again, her long brown hair sweeping over her shoulders as she nodded her head and smiled back at him.

"Yes, master," Padmé said with a grin, as she reached over and took his hand in hers, squeezing it tightly. "I'm going to spend some time with that stupid stone of yours again," she groused playfully, drawing a chuckle from Anakin as he reached over and handed Leia her cup. Leia sat there beside him, quietly picking at her breakfast as she always did. "Just like you asked me to."

"I know you hate that thing," Anakin chuckled, as he looked across the table at Luke, watching his son as he grinned back at him. "But it's for your own good, you know that."

"I know," Padmé sighed, following Anakin's gaze and watching Luke as he picked up another bite of his breakfast with his small, food-covered fingers; she shook her head slowly, laughing quietly to herself, as she watched more than half of it miss his small mouth and fall to the floor beneath his chair.

"I think I liked it better when they were nursing," she sighed, as she surveyed the mess in the floor around their small, round kitchen table.

"That's not what you said when they still were," Anakin laughed, tossing her a sly grin as she turned her head and smiled back at him, her deep brown eyes gazing up at him through the wavy brown hair that hung over them.

"I can't wait till they're both ready to eat solid food," Anakin said, laughing under his breath as he raised his voice and mocked her as best he could, reaching up with his hands and rubbing his chest gingerly as he spoke; he laughed again, somewhat painfully, as he failed to dodge her outstretched hand as she slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Oh, you are_ so_ funny," Padmé laughed, standing up and grinning back at him as she watched him laugh and rub his arm where she'd slapped him. "Isn't it about time for you to be going to work, _Master?"_

"As a matter of fact, I think it is," he chuckled, reaching down and picking up the last bit of bread on his plate with his fingers as he pushed his chair back away from the table.

"Are you sure you had enough?" Padmé asked, as he stuffed the last bite of his breakfast into his mouth; it never ceased to amaze her how much he could eat in one sitting.

"Mm,hmm," Anakin mused, nodding his head as he chewed; she stepped back and watched him as he stood up from his chair, and she closed her eyes and sighed contentedly as he wrapped his arm snugly around her waist and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"No, no, just leave those," she said, tugging him back away from the table as he started to pick up his plate. "Threepio and I can clean it up later," she said, nodding her head as he looked back at her. "You need to get to the shop," she said, rubbing his shoulder affectionately as he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek again. "You've got a busy day ahead of you today."

"It shouldn't be too bad," Anakin said, as he walked over to the table to where his children sat. Padmé watched him affectionately, as he leaned down and kissed each one of them gently on the cheek in turn.

"'Bye, you two," he said, rubbing each one of them gently on the shoulder as he kissed them. "Be good for Mommy today. Love you both."

"I better get going," Anakin said, turning his attention back to Padmé again as the twins went back to their breakfast. "Artoo's probably waiting on me in the speeder already."

"Be safe, and take your time," Padmé said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close to her. "See you later tonight, okay?"

"Okay," Anakin replied, nodding his head as he wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled down at her. He closed his eyes, as she leaned up and kissed him, very tenderly, for a long moment.

"I love you, baby," she said, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "Have a good day, okay?"

"I love you, too," Anakin grinned, as he leaned forward and kissed her once again. "I'll check in after lunch," he said, taking her hand tightly in his as he started toward the kitchen door.

"You guys be careful today," he said, as he opened the door; he took a deep, contented breath, as he felt the cool, fresh morning air touch his face. Padmé was right; it was shaping up to be a beautiful day.

"Have fun with your exercises," he said, a sly grin on his face as he turned and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"I will," Padmé laughed, rubbing his shoulder affectionately as he stepped through the door out onto the stoop. "Bye."

"Bye," Anakin called over his shoulder, as he started down the path that led to the hangar below their house; she stood quietly in the doorway, watching him for a long moment as he walked down the long, winding path, whistling happily to himself. She sighed contentedly and, closing the door quietly, turned her attention back to her two small children again, as she heard them begin to chatter and squeal loudly to one another.

She walked quickly to the counter and picked up the small towel that rested near the sink, as the loud, happy chatter filled their small kitchen; she turned around and sighed, laughing quietly to herself, watching her children fondly as they bounced in their small chairs and grinned at each other.

It was their normal morning routine and, while it could be trying at times, she wouldn't have it any other way. Playtime always seemed to start as soon as the two of them decided that they were finished with their breakfast, and, just like this morning, it was usually only a few moments after their father left for the workshop.

"Okay, you two," Padmé said, wiping her hands on her towel as they both looked up at her. "Are you finished with your breakfast?" she asked, tossing the towel onto the counter beside the sink; she placed her hands on her hips and watched them both for a moment, as they both looked at each other.

They both nodded their little heads as they grinned up at her, their faces still bearing the remains of their breakfasts on them. "Okay then," she said, walking quickly over to the table and picking up the damp rag she had placed there earlier this morning. "Let's get you cleaned up."

"Threepio?" she called loudly, looking over her shoulder toward the living room as she mopped their laughing, squirming faces off with the rag. "Can you come in here for a few minutes?"

"Coming, Mistress Padmé," she heard him call; she looked back over her shoulder as she heard the familiar sound of his metallic feet as he shuffled quickly toward the kitchen.

"Okay, little ones," she said, picking each one of them up from their chairs in turn and lowering them to the floor. "Out," she said firmly, swatting them both playfully on their backsides as she shooed them out of the kitchen, watching them as they both started to squeal happily again as they ran past Threepio and through the door that led to the living room.

"Oh, my," Threepio exclaimed, barely managing to turn himself sideways in the doorway quickly enough to make room for the two small, excited children. "Good morning, Master Luke," he called after them, as they ran through the living room. "And you too, Mistress Leia."

"Threepio," Padmé said, as her tall, silver droid shuffled quickly into the kitchen to join her, "would you mind helping the two of them get cleaned up and dressed this morning?" she asked, as she picked up the children's breakfast dishes and carried them to the sink.

"I promised Anakin that I'd spend some time on my meditation exercises this morning," she said, as she placed the dishes in the sink and grinned back at him. "You can clean up the kitchen a little later."

Padmé smiled again, as she watched Threepio nod and wave his arms excitedly; she knew that, deep down, he loved it when she asked him to look after the children – even if it was for something as simple as this.

"Why, of course, Mistress Padmé," Threepio replied, his electronic voice laced with excitement, as Padmé put the last few dishes in the sink. "I'd be most pleased to do so."

"And see if you can get them to sit down for story time this morning," she called, tossing the towel in her hands onto the kitchen counter as she watched him shuffle quickly across the kitchen; she laughed quietly to herself, as she watched him stop, and then turn slowly to face her again.

"I'll be happy to try, Mistress Padmé," Threepio said, his voice laced with a readily detectable hint of trepidation; he stood quietly for a moment, as he turned his head and looked over his shoulder toward the living room, listening intently to the children's excited squeals as they filled the house.

"It may present a bit of challenge this morning," he sighed, as best as a droid could, as he turned his attention back to Padmé' again. "Young master Luke settles down quite easily, but I'm afraid that little Mistress Leia can be a little strong willed at times," he said. "If you take my meaning, of course."

"I know," Padmé half laughed, half sighed, as she walked across the kitchen and patted Threepio comfortingly on the shoulder. "She'll listen to you, though," she said, reassuringly. "She likes your stories, a lot more than you think she does."

"I hope so," Threepio said, shuffling to the side a bit as Padmé stepped past him and headed through their open, spacious living room toward the hallway that led to their bedrooms. "I'm afraid I'm a little new at this storytelling business," he said. "But I do try to make them interesting."

"You do great, Threepio," Padmé called, as she disappeared down the hallway out of sight. "Just call me if you need me, okay?"

"Yes, Mistress Padmé," Threepio called, and then he shuffled down the hallway after her, as Luke and Leia's happy chatter continued to fill their very modest, yet very happy, home.

* * *

The bright-eyed, dark-haired boy reached up and brushed his hair from his eyes, as he leaned back and admired the freshly cleaned engine housing with a satisfied grin; he'd been working on it all morning, and he reached over and wiped the freshly cleaned plasma vents that rested atop the pristine housing one more time with a clean rag for good measure.

It had been a tough job, and it had taken him all morning; yet he knew, deep down, that was why his master had given it to him. He didn't really understand why, but over the past months that he had worked for him, he found that he took as much pride now, perhaps more so, in pleasing him as he did in pleasing himself.

He had come here looking for work that day; he had lived in this small town all of his life, and the bright, busy workshop seemed inviting, and a good place to start his search. He remembered how he had stood there in front of that counter that day, fidgeting nervously, as he watched the tall, blond haired young man behind it eye him silently for a long moment.

He couldn't really put his finger on what it was about the man he now worked for that had so mesmerized him that day; he had greeted him, quite pleasantly, when he had walked through the doorway into the small shop, and he had listened, with keen interest, as the lad had asked him, somewhat apprehensively, if he needed help. Yet, there was something about his new master that had left him almost speechless, as he had stood there, watching those brilliant, piercing blue eyes look down at him; he seemed, in that instant, to almost be able to look through him, past his disheveled hair and dusty clothes, clear into his heart.

_You're a good kid_, his master had told him after a long, quiet pause, nodding his head slowly as he walked around the counter and extended his hand to him. _You're hired. My name's Anakin_, he had said, as he took the young lad's hand and shook it firmly. _What's yours?_

"Guyton?" Anakin called, as he stepped through the door at the back of the shop. "You out here?"

"Right here, Mister Ani," Guyton called, turning quickly and looking over his shoulder; he watched, as Anakin stepped through the door and walked toward him.

"How's it coming?" Anakin asked, squinting as he stepped into the bright sunlight and made his way through the maze of vehicles, machines, and parts over to where the little dark-haired boy knelt on the ground.

"Just finished it now," Guyton said, looking back at the engine housing proudly as Anakin stepped up next to him and pulled a grimy rag from his back pocket. "Did I do a good enough job on it, Mister Ani?"

Anakin surveyed the lad's work for a moment, nodding his head as he wiped his hands slowly on the rag he had retrieved from his pocket. "You sure did," he nodded, looking down at the proud smile that spread across Guyton's grimy face as he looked up at him.

"Looks good as new," Anakin said, as the lad wiped the housing over one more time with his rag as he watched. "Now, if I can just get that injector installed this afternoon, we'll be ready to send this one back where it belongs, two days early," he said. "And that means you'll get that bonus Padmé promised you."

"Wa_hoo_!" Guyton shouted, raising his arms over his head and looking up at Anakin with a wide grin. "Really?"

"You bet," Anakin replied, nodding his head firmly as he extended his hand to the boy and helped him up to his feet. "But, first things first," he said, as he dusted off the back of the boy's shirt with his hand. "I need you to run an errand for me."

"Sure," Guyton replied, bending over and slapping the knees of his dirty pants several times, sending a small cloud of dust into the air around them. "Is Miss Padmé coming to eat with us today?" he asked, looking back up at Anakin as he stood up and dusted his small, grimy hands.

"Not today," Anakin replied, placing his hand on the young boy's shoulder and nudging him back toward the workshop. "She's got a few things at home to take care of," he said, as he tucked the rag back into his pocket and pushed the door open with his left hand. "Looks like it's just going to be us and Artoo today."

"Here," Anakin said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an assortment of small gold coins; he picked through them quickly, and then looked back down at his young friend as he placed them in his outstretched hand. "Run down to the diner and tell Leeza to fix up two of the usuals," he said, watching as Guyton tucked the coins securely in the pocket of his dusty pants.

'Yes, sir," Guyton replied, turning on his heels and trotting quickly toward the front of the shop.

"And take Artoo with you," Anakin called, as he tucked his hands into his pockets, looking over at his little round astrodroid as he worked quietly on the terminal console where he had parked himself early this morning. "He needs to get out for a while," he said, watching with a grin as Artoo swung his sensor dome toward him and whistled brightly. "He's been cooped up in here all morning."

Anakin smiled, as he watched Guyton trot over and slap Artoo on the top of his sensor dome several times. "Let's go, Artoo," he said, looking over his shoulder and watching as the little droid turned quickly and began to follow him toward the front door, whistling happily to himself.

Anakin watched them both for a moment, as the little twelve-year-old boy held the door open for Artoo, chattering happily with him as he rolled through the doorway and out onto the sidewalk to join him.

_He really is a good kid_, Anakin thought to himself, as he walked back over toward his workbench and took a long, deep breath, sighing deeply. He had sensed it, from the first moment that he had walked into his shop that day, and Guyton had proven to be a hard, dedicated worker, with a bright, pleasant demeanor that pleased not only him and Padmé, but everyone that came into their shop as well.

Guyton's parents weren't much older than he and Padmé, and they had become quite good friends in the six months that their son had started working for them; his mother, Alana, had befriended Padmé since their first meeting, and it wasn't unusual for Anakin to bring Guyton home with him at the end of the day, as his mother stopped by frequently to visit with Padmé and the children.

Anakin sat down at his bench and picked up the injector assembly he'd been working on all morning. He turned it slowly as he checked it over carefully one more time, but then paused, frowning again as he felt that nagging feeling return.

He still didn't know what it was that was bothering him, but it unnerved him more than he cared to admit. He'd first sensed it early this morning, not long after he'd come to work; he closed his eyes, stretching out toward Padmé and the children with his feelings again. He felt himself relax, just a bit, as soon as he felt their familiar tremors; they were there, just as they always were, and he knew that all was well at home. Not to mention, if something were amiss, Padmé would have called to him long ago, and she wouldn't have needed the comlink.

But somewhere, somehow… something was wrong.

Anakin sat there for another moment, quietly probing the Force that flowed so powerfully through him. Whatever it was, it was distant, elusive, and reluctant to reveal itself. He knew, as much as he hated to admit it, that he would just have to wait until the Force, in its wisdom, decided to reveal it to him.

Anakin took another long, deep breath and then, a little reluctantly, picked up his logic probe and went back to work.

* * *

The mid morning sun shone down, bathing her bare, golden shoulders with a gentle warmth as the breeze tugged lightly at her pale yellow sundress, tossing her dark, flowing curls gently around them.

Anyone who'd seen her would have thought she was asleep; she sat there completely motionless, her eyes closed, her bare feet tucked beneath her as she sat on the blanket she'd brought down into the meadow with her. Her hands were folded in her lap, and in her open palms rested a single, smooth object.

Again, anyone who'd seen her would have though she was asleep – almost anyone.

But, had that passerby been a Jedi, or one schooled in the knowledge of the Force, they would have instantly known otherwise. In every outward way, Padmé appeared to be asleep, or in some kind of trance; but in reality, she was more aware of her surrounds at this moment, more in tune with what was going on in the world around her, than she'd ever been before.

She took a deep, slow breath, immersing herself deeper and deeper into the living Force around her. She smiled, her eyes still closed, as she suddenly sensed the small, furry animal that took a few steps out of the adjacent woods, eyeing her suspiciously. It raised its long ears and sat up on its hind legs, its nose twitching as it sniffed the air and watched the strange young woman who sat there, several dozen meters from it.

"So," Padmé whispered, the corner of her mouth curling into the hint of a smile as she watched, with unseen eyes, as the small, fuzzy rodent's life force shimmered as clearly as if she'd seen it with her own brown eyes. "So you're the little thief who's been stealing my vegetables," she whispered, realizing that she'd finally solved the riddle of the freshly dug potatoes that had been mysteriously disappearing off her back stoop for several nights before.

"It's okay, go ahead," she whispered, as she watched the little creature bound out into the meadow and toward the stream that gurgled lazily between them; it had obviously understood the message she'd willed to it through the Force, as it began to drink from the cool, clear water without a care in the world.

It always amazed her that it was the simpler creatures, the ones that had always been thought of as less intelligent, that needed no schooling in the ways of the Force. She giggled softly to herself as she watched the little animal for another moment, and then turned her attention and focus back to the gold-hued gem that rested in her hands. She took another deep breath, drawing her focus in on the stone, and immersed herself deeply into the soothing flow of the living Force.

She'd been practicing with it for some time now, and Padmé would have been the first to admit that the Mandarian meditation stone that Obi-Wan had given her had frustrated her on many occasions. While she knew full well the purpose of the stone – and how difficult it was to use it – she'd found her failure to do more than make the stone glow faintly on occasion to be something of a disheartening thing. But, Anakin had assured her that her perceived failures were indeed triumphs – especially for one who hadn't trained any longer than she had, and he'd encouraged her to keep trying. And, as usual, Anakin's heartfelt words of encouragement had given her just the right boost she needed, and it had been with a profound sense of determination that she'd fetched the little golden orb and brought it down to the meadow with her for her morning exercises.

_Today's the day,_ she'd told herself, and she was bound and determined that today _would_ be the day. This stone would sing today, and levitate – if it was the last thing she ever did.

She frowned a bit, as she searched for the stone in the Force around her. It was a confusing sensation and, though she could feel it resting in her palms, she couldn't see it. Every other object in the field around her – the grass, the rocks, the little long-eared animal that still drank from the stream near her – they all gave off a vibration, left a shimmering ripple in the Force as it flowed over them.

But not this thing. It was – for all intensive purposes – damn near invisible.

Padmé took a deep breath and held it; her long, curly bangs swung loosely over her eyes as she cocked her head, her brow deeply furrowed as she delved into the Force, searched for the tiny, nearly undetectable ripple that the Mandarian mediation stone left in the living Force.

Finally. There it was.

It was faint, nothing more than a whisper in a gale, and she took a slow, measured breath as she locked her focus on that tiny tremor; she knew instantly that she'd found it, because the moment she had, a faint, three-toned note reached her ears. Though she still didn't really understand how the strange, amber-colored material reflected the Force energy she was directing at it, she knew that the pleasant, faint sound meant that she was on the right track.

It was getting louder now, and Padmé felt herself begin to let go, to let the Force guide her efforts. Though her eyes were still closed, she could see the stone now, and its ripples were growing stronger, shimmering like brilliant waves of liquid silver as they echoed through the Force.

As it rested in her open palm, the translucent golden orb began to glow; it was very faint at first, but, as the song it sang began to increase, the stone at last began to burn with a fire that came from deep within, as it responded to the Force energy its new master directed toward it.

It was no small effort; Padmé's eyes were squeezed shut tightly now, and it was taking every bit of control she could muster as she tried to 'balance the stone', as the Jedi called it. She'd been manipulating objects for some time now, yet, where a simple stone three times the size of this orb felt as light as a feather, this thing felt like a three meter slab of deuterium. She lifted, as hard as she could, wrapping the Force energy she commanded around the small object. _Come on_, she thought, as her hands began to tremble slightly. _Move_.

Padmé felt herself jump, and her breath caught in her throat; the corner of her mouth slowly turned up into a smile as, for the first time since she'd begun to practice with it, she felt the stone suddenly leave her palm.

The little creature sat back up on its haunches, sniffing the air curiously as it turned its attention back to the young woman who sat across the stream from it. Somehow, it knew, as it sensed the waves of energy in the Force around it, that it had nothing to fear from this young woman, and it watched curiously as the stone's song began to fill the meadow around them.

The stone glowed with a brilliant fire within as it lifted slowly from Padmé's motionless hands, first an inch, then two, then finally came to rest about six inches from her open palms. It spun slowly, the fire within it flickering brightly as it obeyed her, responding – for the first time since Anakin had used it that day on Deyer – to the beautiful young Jedi who now commanded it.

Her heart pounding, Padmé opened her eyes; the effort was incredible but, for another second or two, she saw the stone hanging there, burning brightly – but, as the sights and sounds of the meadow around her quickly began to assault her senses, she finally let go and, with an exhausted sigh, she reached up and caught the stone as it dropped into her palm and fell silent once again.

She was literally exhausted; she flung her arms over her head and flopped onto her back with a sigh, her brown hair coming to rest in a tangled heap on the top of her face. She lay there for a long moment, her heart still pounding as her breath came fast and heavy, almost like it did when she finished her running exercises.

Padmé puffed hard, blowing enough of her hair from her face to be able to see. She brought the stone up in front of her eyes, and burst into a brilliant smile as she finally realized what she'd done. "I did it," she said softly, squeezing the stone tightly in her fist as she started to laugh. "I did it!"

"Did you hear that?" she laughed, rising up on her elbows. She reached up with her free hand and brushed her hair from her face, turning her excited smile toward the little creature that still sat in the meadow across from her, watching her curiously. "I did it!" she laughed, giggling happily as the little creature looked back at her. "The garden's all yours, little friend," she laughed, gesturing toward the little vegetable garden that she and Anakin kept at the back of the house. "You can have all the potatoes you want!" she exclaimed happily, flopping back onto her back again.

Padmé giggled happily for another moment or two, and then slowly lifted the stone up in front of her, turning it slowly in the sunlight, watching as the light shimmered through it. "I did it, Ani," she giggled softly, her thoughts instantly shifting to Anakin. "I finally did it," she sighed again, flopping back onto her back and closing her eyes, basking in the warm sun that shone down on her. She took a deep breath, sighing contentedly as she reached down into the pocket of her dress and retrieved her comlink.

* * *

Anakin peered through the dark, smoke lenses of his fusing goggles, whistling contentedly to himself as he sealed the last two circuits of the injector he'd just installed in the speeder that Guyton had been working on all morning. He paused, looking down toward his pocket as he heard the familiar two-toned bell of his comlink and, tossing his goggles and fuser onto the ground beside him, he sat back against the wall and quickly fetched it from the pocket of his jeans.

"Yeeeeeesss?" he asked, a smile quickly spreading across his somewhat dirty face as he brought the comlink up to it and switched it on; his smile widened – just as it always did – as he heard her answer him.

"_Hi, baby_," Padmé replied, her voice as soft and sweet as always. "_How's work going today?_"

"A lot better, now that I've heard from you," Anakin replied with a grin. "But it's going just fine, we're getting a lot done," he added with a nod. "We're actually way ahead of schedule today."

"_That's wonderful!_" Padmé chimed happily. "_I'm glad you two are having a good day. Where's Guyton now?"_

"He and Artoo just got back a few minutes ago," Anakin replied, glancing back through the door into the shop, where Guyton was clearing a place on the desk for them to eat. "We were just getting ready to eat lunch."

"_Lunch is what I was calling you about,_" Padmé replied. "_I have a surprise for you. Do you think Guyton might mind just eating with Artoo today? I was wondering if you'd like to come home and have lunch with me."_

Anakin suddenly felt that unmistakable, familiar tremor deep within his heart. "I'm sure Guyton wouldn't mind watching the shop for a while," he replied, running a somewhat dirty hand through his long, shaggy mane. "Besides, he looked really hungry today, anyway," he chuckled, standing up and dusting off his pants with his free hand. "Leeza fixed his favorite today, and I'm pretty sure he could eat two."

"_Are you sure you don't mind?"_ Padmé asked sweetly. "_It's just so beautiful out today; I was just thinking that a quiet picnic lunch might be nice."_

"I can't think of anything I'd like better," Anakin replied with a grin. "I'll be home in fifteen minutes," he added, glancing up at the timepiece on the wall as he started toward the door. "Time me."

"_Okay,_" Padmé replied excitedly. "_That'll just give me time to get everything ready. I'll be waiting on you in the meadow. Be safe, and I'll see you soon. Love you!"_

"I love you, too," Anakin chuckled; he looked at his comlink as it beeped once more, then returned it to his pocket as he walked back into the shop.

The dark-haired little boy had just placed their lunches on the counter and hopped up in his chair when Anakin walked in to join him. "Guyton, old boy," Anakin said, patting his young apprentice on the shoulder as he walked up behind him and fetched the key to his speeder from the nearby hook on the wall, "There's been a change of plans. I'm outa here."

"Yup, I figured that when I heard your comlink go off," Guyton replied, his voice muffled as he stuffed a huge bite of Leeza's freshly baked cheese casserole into his mouth and looked back up at Anakin with a sarcastic grin. "Where ya going?" he asked, grinning up at his master as he started toward the door.

"Oh, just home," Anakin replied with a smile – and a wink – as he stopped just short of the door. "I'm, ahh, just gonna go home and check on Padmé," he said, gesturing toward the door with his thumb.

"Right," Guyton replied with a nod, as he quite nearly stuffed a whole roll into his mouth. "That's _all _you better do," he snickered, his voice muffled once again.

"Shut up and eat," Anakin replied with a laugh, gesturing toward the extra lunch that sat in his usual place. "Hey, why don't you call your friend Ellan to come and eat lunch with you? Or, you can just be a gondark and eat 'em both. But watch the shop," he added, reaching down and opening the door. "You're in charge till I get back, okay?"

Anakin smiled as he watched Guyton salute him in his usual fashion. "Aye, aye, Cap'n," he said, snapping to attention in his seat. " Corporal Artoo and I have it all under control, sir!" he said, in prime military fashion, looking down at the little droid as he rolled up beside him and whistled brightly. "Don't we, Artoo?"

"Just don't burn the place down while I'm gone, General," Anakin laughed, turning and trotting out through the door toward his speeder. "I'll see you guys in a bit!"

Guyton laughed quietly to himself, shaking his head as he watched Anakin hop into his speeder and fairly well blast out of the parking lot. "Yeah, right," he laughed, turning his attention back to Artoo again. "Whatcha think, Artoo?" he asked, going back to his lunch again. "I'm guessing two hours at least, whatdya think?"

Guyton took another huge bite of Leeza's casserole, then looked back at Artoo with a grin as a long string of clicks and whistled ensued. He picked up the little translator display that lay on the bench beside him, and burst out laughing as he saw the translation scroll across the screen.

"No, he'll _have _to come back," Guyton said, pausing as he took a long, thirsty swig of his drink. "He didn't leave me the keys."

* * *

_Live Well, Love Much, and Laugh Often._

The small, hand-carved wooden plaque hung over their kitchen door. It was a simple proverb, and, though she didn't know its origin, she knew that it was one of the simplest, wisest sayings she had ever heard. She had found it on one of their trips to the market, not long after she and Anakin had come to Bardesha, and they had brought it home and hung it there nearly six months ago.

It was the rule they lived their lives by, and if Padmé could ever hope to convey one simple truth to her children as they grew, this would be it – for those three simple instructions had brought a happiness to their lives that she could never had dreamed possible. Indeed, if any two people knew how to hold those truths, Anakin and Padmé were a living witness to their value.

They lived well, and they knew what it meant to do so. They had a comfortable, modest home, and it always made her smile when she compared the grandeur of their former homes with the one in which they now lived. Padmé had grown up in the royal palaces of Naboo from the age of nine, surrounded by countless treasures of untold value. As queen, she'd never even had to give any thought or care as to what she would wear, or what she would eat. It'd always been taken care of for her, and she'd lived in the lap of luxury, and, even when she'd become a senator, that life of pampering and riches had continued.

Anakin had lived a life of self-denial, yet even in that he'd lived in one of the grandest buildings on Coruscant. Though the Jedi professed a simple life of servitude, they had lived in relative splendor in the Jedi Temple, with the finest technology that the galaxy had to offer at their fingertips. Though they possessed little on a personal level, they had been noble warriors, revered by those who respected them, and respected even by those who feared them. They were strong and powerful, guardians of a glorious past, each one of them ready to serve, at a moment's notice, on whatever grand and dangerous mission awaited them.

And yet, it was here – in a small, two bedroom home nestled amongst Nature's beauty, that she and Anakin had found true happiness. They lived well indeed, and this tiny, comfortable home possessed a splendor greater than that which any palace could offer, and they had both found their places in the great circle of life… at one another's side.

Once one of the most powerful and influential senators in the galaxy, Padmé had found true contentment as a wife and mother. Anakin, one of the most powerful Jedi in the history of the Order, had found the same as a devoted husband and father. Together, they both worked side by side in their business, drawing on their natural gifts and abilities, and they'd used that honest, well-earned income to build and provide a home for their family, and it was a finer home than any that could be bought with gold or latinum. It was simple and comfortable, and in that home, the other two rules carved into that simple wooden plaque had flourished – no other couple, or family, could have loved or laughed more than they did.

Padmé sighed deeply, as she looked at her two children. It still never ceased to amaze her how quickly they were growing up. She sat there quietly for a moment, as she watched them fondly. Maybe it was the fact that they were both so strong with the Force, or something else entirely – but they both seemed to be growing up so fast, so much quicker than she had, and they seemed so much older than they were. But, for whatever reason, she couldn't help but feel a twinge deep in her heart, for she knew that all children must grow up. And, even though she knew that the great circle of life was the way of the Force, she couldn't help but wish, just like any mother, that she could keep them this way forever.

It was moments like these, the simple ones, that she cherished most. The sun was almost overhead now, and its rays shone down on her as she finished another sandwich and placed it on one of the small plates beside her. "Luke," she called, watching her son as he picked up his bright green ball from the thick grass and looked back at her. "Come on," she called, motioning for him to join her, as he bounded across the grass toward her, his ball in hand. "Your lunch is ready."

"Careful," she cautioned, reaching out and catching him as he fairly well leapt onto the blanket beside her. She reached down quickly, catching Luke's hand as he reached for the sandwich she'd just placed on his father's plate. "No, baby, not that one. That one's Daddy's," she said, pushing his own little plate in front of him as he squirmed around and finally sat down on the blanket beside her, his bright blue eyes shining out at her from beneath his sandy brown hair. "This one is yours," she said, pointing at the neatly cut sandwich that lay on his plate.

"Onna _big_ one!" Luke exclaimed, taking his plate in his small hands and pulling it over in front of him.

"That_ is_ a big one," Padmé grinned, watching him as he quickly picked up half of it and took a huge bite. "Finish that one first, and you can have another if you want it," she said, as Luke nodded his head, chewing contentedly.

"Leia, aren't you hungry?" she asked, looking over at her little raven-haired daughter as she lay there on her stomach at the edge of the old multi-colored blanket, scribbling contentedly on her little coloring pad with its fat little stylus.

"Uh, uh," Leia grunted, shaking her head as she paused and looked up at her mother for a moment, and then went back to her pad. She picked a new color from the selector on the side, and then began to scribble again, quite feverishly.

Padmé knew that Leia usually wasn't one to miss out on food, though, so she kept on making the sandwich she'd been preparing for her anyway. "What are you drawing, honey?" she asked, glancing over at her as she slathered another piece of bread with a thick coating of cloudberry jam.

"Treepio!" Leia exclaimed with a grin, her dark, straight bangs hanging over her bright eyes as she snatched her head up and looked at her mother with a grin.

"Yes, Mistress Leia?" Threepio asked, hearing his name, or something reasonably close to it, as he made his way toward them. He'd just returned from the house, a small container of ice in his hands as he shuffled over beside Padmé. "Did you call me?"

"Thank you, Threepio," Padmé said, taking the container as he bent down and offered it to her. "I don't think she was calling you, though," she added, looking up at her droid with a grin as she opened the container and began to place some ice in each of the cups. "Leia was just telling me that she's making a portrait of you," she said, brown eyes twinkling as she watched him stand up straight and look over at Leia. "And from what I can see from here, it's going to be a very good one."

"Oh, my! A portrait? Of me?" Threepio exclaimed, waving his arms excitedly. "How very nice! Mistress Leia," he said, shuffling over through the grass and coming to a stop just beside her, "Do you think I might have a look?"

Padmé looked back up toward the narrow road that led to their home, just as she heard the familiar sound of their speeder approaching. "And here comes Daddy," she said, exchanging an excited smile with her son as the dusty gold vehicle rounded the corner and started down the path toward them, trailing a faint cloud of dust behind it. "Right on time."

She waved to him, watching with a grin as he motored right past the garage and brought the speeder to a halt in the grass a dozen meters or so from them. "Am I late?" he asked, bounding up out of the seat and landing securely on his feet in the grass before the speeder's thrusters had even whined to a halt.

"Welcome home, Master Ani," Threepio chimed pleasantly, shuffling across the grass to meet him. "I trust that things are going well at the shop today?"

"Going great, Threepio," Anakin replied, slapping his trusted droid soundly on the shoulder. "I brought Padmé home some parts for her project," he said, gesturing toward the speeder behind him. "Would you mind getting them out of the rear compartment and taking them into the shop for her when you have a minute?"

"Not at all," Threepio replied, always pleased to lend a hand where he could. "And I believe that Miss Padmé has lunch ready for you," he said, gesturing toward the blanket behind him, then turning and making his way over toward the speeder.

"You're right on time, as usual," Padmé replied, picking up Luke's sandwich and placing back on his plate; he'd dropped it – as usual – as he stood up and trotted into his father's arms, hugging him tightly as Anakin dropped to his knees in the grass by the blanket.

"Daddy!" Luke exclaimed, flinging his arms around his father's neck as Anakin hugged him tightly.

"Hey, Luke," Anakin sighed, as he released him from his embrace and tussled his hair playfully. He reached up with his finger, wiping a generous glop of cloudberry jam from the corner of Luke's mouth. "You started without me, I see," he said, drawing a giggle from his little boy as he quickly licked the bright blue jam from his finger, then flopped down onto the blanket beside him. "Mmm," Anakin mused, his eyebrow raising as he turned his blue eyes to Padmé's. "Cloudberry," he said, leaning over to meet her across their blanket as she did the same. "My favorite."

Anakin closed his eyes, sighing contentedly as the sweet taste of the cloudberry jam mingled with the soft fullness of Padmé's lips. He reached up, weaving his fingers loosely in her thick, fragrant tresses as they shared several long, tender kisses.

"Hi," he said softly, his eyes sparkling through his shaggy hair as he gazed deeply into his wife's beautiful eyes as their lips parted for a brief moment.

"Hi," she replied, just as softly, closing her eyes as she slipped a hand around his neck and gently pulled him to her once more, her lips moving softly, passionately over his own for another moment.

"Welcome home," Padmé sighed, her rich brown eyes sparkling as they found his once more as their lips finally parted. "And it's _his_ favorite, too," she grinned, both of them watching as Luke sat back down at his plate and went back to his sandwich. "Like father, like son," she added, picking up Anakin's plate and handing it to him.

"Thank you," Anakin replied, leaning over and kissing her once more; he looked over at Leia, smiling slyly as he heard her giggle, and saw her peeping up at him from between her fingers.

He and Padmé exchanged a grin, and, as Padmé picked up the pitcher and poured them all a glass of juice, Anakin sat his plate down in front of him. "Uh, oh," he said, a look of deep concern overtaking his usually cheerful face as his eyes scanned the meadow around them. "Where's Leia?" he asked, his hand shielding his eyes as he peered deeply into the trees beyond their meadow.

"I don't know," Padmé sighed, shrugging her shoulders as she grinned at him and passed him a glass of juice. "She was here a minute ago," she said, shaking her head as a frown of mock sadness crossed her face. "I wonder where she's gone?"

Leia giggled again, burying her face in her hands as Anakin leaned down close to her, eyeing the blanket around her carefully. "I coulda sworn I saw her when I pulled up," he said, pursing his lips as he brought his face alongside his daughter's. "And did you hear that?" he whispered, his smile meeting Padmé's once more as she laughed quietly at him. "I thought I heard a giggle."

Padmé loved this game, almost as much as Leia did. "A giggle?" she laughed, shaking her head, her eyes sparkling as brightly as his own as he placed his hand gently on his daughter's little back – right where he could squeeze her sides. "I didn't hear it," she laughed softly, unable to keep from doing so as Leia buried her little face in her hands and started to laugh, knowing full well what was coming next. "What did it sound like?"

"Like _this,"_ Anakin replied, quite calmly, as he clamped down gently on Leia's tender little sides, just below her ribs. Padmé burst out laughing as, just as always, her little dark-haired daughter squealed with laughter and squirmed like a fish on the sidewalk as Anakin tickled her mercilessly.

"Oh, there she is," he chuckled, tickling her stomach as Leia rolled over onto her back and tried – in vain – to grab hold of her father's hands as she cackled, loud and happily. "Hi, Princess," Anakin said finally, leaning close and kissing her firmly on the cheek as he finally relented.

Padmé took a bite of her own sandwich, watching as Anakin sat back up and did the same as Leia rolled over and squirmed up next to him, handing him the drawing pad she'd been working on. "Lookit, Daddy," she said, her cheeks still rosy from their little bout as Anakin took her drawing pad and looked at it closely.

"What's this?" Anakin asked, cocking his head as he looked at the rainbow of patterns, doodles, and scribbles on the little electronic pad. It had a distinctly golden tint to it, though he could make out little else – but it seemed to vaguely resemble something at least partially humanoid.

"I think your daughter drew you a picture, Daddy," Padmé grinned, pausing as she took a sip from her cup. She looked up, as did Anakin, as Threepio spoke up once more.

"I believe that little Mistress Leia has been working on a portrait of me, Master Ani," Threepio exclaimed, rather proudly, as he shuffled up beside him, the box of parts he'd fetched from the speeder held securely in his arms. "I haven't had a chance to see it yet, but Miss Padmé says she thinks it's a very good likeness."

Anakin and Padmé exchanged a sly grin. "Oh, it _is,"_ Anakin chuckled, nodded his head as he turned the tablet slowly in front of him, eyeing it carefully. "It…" he paused, swallowing the bite of his sandwich as he looked up at his old droid with a broad grin. "It looks just like you, Threepio," he said, with a firm nod of his head. "Don't you think so, Mom?" he asked, handing Leia's little tablet across the blanket to Padmé.

"Oh, it's beautiful, honey," Padmé exclaimed, taking another bite of her sandwich as she tried – as best she could – not to laugh. The little scribbling looked like a huge, disheveled ball of wire perched atop a lopsided golden box, with four scraggly, skinny sticks poking out of the sides and bottom. "And Anakin's right," she said, brown curls bouncing around her shoulders as she smiled widely up at their droid. "It looks just like you."

"How wonderful!" Threepio exclaimed, turning around and heading for the workshop. "Who would have thought that little Mistress Leia would be such an artistic prodigy? This is very exciting," he said, completely unaware of the huge grin that Anakin and Padmé exchanged as she handed the tablet back to him.

"It's a beautiful picture, honey," Padmé said, smiling proudly at her daughter as her little face beamed up at them. "Isn't it, Daddy?" she asked, watching as Anakin nodded his head firmly.

"Absolutely," Anakin replied with a nod, leaning down and kissing his daughter soundly atop her little dark-haired head as he handed her tablet back to her. "Here ya go," he said, sliding her plate over in front of her as she placed her tablet on the blanket beside her. He took another bite of his own sandwich, then grinned back at Padmé as Leia took a bite of her own.

"So," Padmé said, smiling contentedly as she shuffled a little closer to him, tucking her bare feet under her soft yellow sundress. She picked up her cup, smiling over the top of it at him as she brought it to her lips. "What's been going on at work today? Tell me all about it."

"Wait a minute," Anakin asked, leaning back onto his elbow as he took another huge bite of his sandwich. "I thought you told me you had a surprise for _me_," he said, grinning slyly at her as he chewed.

"I do," Padmé replied, nodding her head firmly, her eyes twinkling back at him. "But you first," she said, going back to her own lunch.

The soft summer breeze blew lazily through the thick green canopy of the trees, as the warm sun shone down on the little family that sat on the brightly colored, well-worn blanket in the meadow below it. Time was passing, just as it always had, and always would, in the great circle of life. But, at least for the moment, the four souls below had stopped it, found a way to make the great world around them slow down and – for a change – wait on them, as they talked, laughed, and played in the warm summer sun. Together, they had done what no scientist before, or any that would follow after would accomplish… They'd brought time to a stop.

And all it took was each other.


	3. Chapter 3

The midday sun was delightfully warm. Stretched out on their old multi-colored blanket, with his belly full and Padmé snuggled close to his side, Anakin had dozed off for a while, knowing, as always, that their children were safe under Threepio's ever-watchful eyes. He yawned sleepily, and then raised himself up on one elbow and looked out over the meadow for a moment. It was quiet now, except for the sounds of the soft breeze, the little stream that babbled nearby, and the birds that chattered in the nearby canopy.

It had been a wonderful afternoon. So wonderful, in fact, that realizing full well that he no longer had any intention of going back to work, Anakin had called his young apprentice almost two hours ago. And, just as he'd expected, it'd been with a keen sense of amusement that he'd endured the lad's laughter and ribbing upon hearing the news. But, after he'd enjoyed his laugh – and learned of the spare set of keys that Artoo kept tucked in one of his many storage compartments – Guyton had assured him that he would lock up, and that he and his father would shuttle the little droid home later in the evening. He was a good boy, very responsible and good-natured, so it had been with a profound sense of security – and a healthy dose of boyish playfulness – that Anakin had discarded his shoes and shirt and spent the midday hours playing with Padmé and his children, all of them enjoying the cool water of the nearby stream and the warmth of the afternoon sun's golden rays.

After a while, they'd both stretched out on their blanket and talked contentedly, snuggled close together in the warm afternoon sun, watching as Luke and Leia played with Threepio, tossing and retrieving Luke's little green ball for what seemed like an eternity. After a while, the children had come to join them and, no sooner than they'd gotten still, had fallen quickly to sleep. With Threepio's help, they'd put away most of the food and, after tucking the twins in for an afternoon nap, had returned to their blanket in the sun.

The combined warmth of the afternoon sun and one another's company had quickly lulled them both to sleep as well. Padmé's training dictated that they get up early each day, just before sunrise, and their morning exercises as master and padawan were quite strenuous and nothing to sneeze at. So, it was only natural that a midday nap, snuggled in each other's arms, was something they'd both come to look forward to, when they could steal one. And, when the weather – and Anakin's workload – permitted, one such as the one they now enjoyed, basking under the warm, early summer sun was a delight indeed.

Anakin laid his head back down, resting it on his arm as he tucked it beneath him and sighed contentedly. They were spooned together, as snugly as always, and Anakin smiled as he felt her squeeze the arm he had draped around her waist and scoot her body back tightly against him with a contented sigh.

She was awake – he could feel it.

He lifted his head, just enough so that he could place a gentle kiss on her neck, just below her ear, as he brushed his fingers lightly across her stomach. Burying his nose in her thick, dark tresses, he kissed her lightly once more on the nape of her neck, then smiled as he heard her laugh.

"What are you doing?" she giggled sleepily, rubbing his arm affectionately as his hand slid slowly along the soft, satiny material of her dress, down her stomach and over her hip.

"Oh, nothing," Anakin replied softly; with the loose, wide neckline of her sundress conveniently exposing most of her tanned shoulder, he continued moving his soft, velvety kisses slowly down her neck. He smiled, his eyes still closed as Padmé sighed again, much deeper, as his hand finally came to rest on her soft, smooth skin, just above her knee.

"Nothing, hmmm?" she purred, raising her arms high over her head as she stretched hard, and then rolled toward him onto her back, her sleepy brown eyes sparkling in the warm afternoon sun. "Well, if this is nothing," she sighed, brushing a gentle hand along his cheek as she brought her face close to his, "I can't wait to see what'll happen when you're actually up to_ something_," she giggled, placing a gentle, playful kiss on his lips, keenly aware of his hand as it continued to inch its way slowly up her leg.

"I'm not up to anything," Anakin replied innocently, giving the hem of her dress a playful tug, freeing it a little more from beneath her legs. She giggled again as she reached out with her feelings, touched his heart with her own; she knew exactly what he was up to, and so did he. She could feel it, just as she always could, and she'd gotten quite good at reading his subtle, gentle signals.

And she wanted him as badly as he wanted her – maybe even more.

She turned her head a bit more, sighing contentedly as his kisses moved once more to the nape of her neck, a warm glow sweeping over her as her body thrilled to his soft, tender kisses and gentle touch. Even now, after almost six wonderful years together, he was as gentle as ever, almost cautious in his advances, just as he'd been on their wedding night. She was always the more aggressive one when it came to love, at least in those early moments – yet though Padmé had made it plain to him, over and over, that her body was his to do with as he pleased whenever he desired, it had always been a tender kiss, a gentle touch, that he used to let her know he wanted her.

Anakin's heart began to pound, just as it always did, as Padmé wrapped her arm tightly around his neck, pressing her body close to his as her lips began to explore his own, over and over. It was a wondrous sensation, still as new, overwhelming, and intoxicating as it had been the first time he'd held her, and he smiled as she raised her legs up off the blanket a bit, freeing her dress enough to allow it slide slowly toward her waist, revealing a generous amount of her shapely, tanned legs.

"Is that better?" Padmé whispered, a sultry smile on her face as she opened her eyes and gazed into his for a long moment. She laughed again, as she felt his hand begin to explore more of the thigh she'd conveniently exposed for him.

"Much," Anakin grinned, nodding his head firmly as Padmé laughed softly at him, brown eyes twinkling mischievously as she tangled her fingers in his long, shaggy hair. She closed her eyes as she leaned her head back, giving him full, uninhibited access to the nape of her neck once more as she pulled him close.

"I've been waiting for this all day," she sighed softly, keenly aware of the touch of his fingers, the warmth of his breath, and the soft caress of his lips on her skin. She took a quick, deep breath, pressing her lips to his ear as she melted into his arms and pulled him close. "Now it's _our_ turn to play," she whispered, gently stroking his hair as she pressed her body as close to him as she possibly could.

Padmé bit her lip playfully as their eyes met once more, and Anakin's voice was raspy and soft as he answered her. "Here?" he asked, giving the inside of her thigh a gentle squeeze as he glanced around the open, sunny meadow. "Now?"

"Why not?" she whispered, a mischievous, playful grin on her face as she cupped his face tenderly in her hands. "We're all alone out here, and Guyton and Artoo won't be back for a couple of hours yet," she whispered, shaking her head as she drug her fingertips lightly down his cheek. Holding his gaze with her own, she let her hand drift down and fall gently on top of his. "Besides," she whispered, his hand gliding over her soft, smooth skin as she coaxed it up to her hip. "I can't think of a more romantic setting than this."

Anakin kissed her tenderly, his hand roving slowly over her waist, finally coming to rest just beneath her stomach as his fingertips gently stroked the little scar just below and to the left of her bellybutton. He opened his eyes slowly, watching as she glanced down at his hand, and then looked back up at him. "You can't really see it anymore," he said, his grin widening as she laughed back at him. "But I can still feel it."

"Well, I'm glad you can, because I can't," Padmé laughed softly, as she felt his fingertips suddenly disappear as he gently stroked the little scar, the only remaining physical evidence of her ordeal on Deyer. It, and the area immediately around it, had been completely numb ever since it had healed.

"You don't feel that?" Anakin asked, as he traced its length with his fingertip. "Nothing at all?"

"No," Padmé replied. "I can feel a little pressure if you press down hard enough," she said, shaking her head. "But no, I can't feel it at all."

"That is _so_ weird," Anakin chuckled, as he buried his face in the soft, thick curls at her neck. "But can you feel_ this_?"

She squealed with laughter as, quick as a flash, Anakin stuck his finger deep into her bellybutton and started to tickle her mercilessly. "Ani! Oh, stop, please!" she laughed, clawing desperately for his hand as he wiggled it gently; it didn't take much, and she shivered violently as she finally managed to snatch his hand away.

"Oh, you are _rotten!_" Padmé laughed, shivering as she pressed his hand against the goose bumps that now completely covered her legs. "See what you did? I can't believe I fell for that," she said, her eyes sparkling brightly as he laughed as hard as she had a moment before. "You're going to pay for that too, and don't you think you won't, you…"

"Mmphh," she sighed as, still laughing, Anakin suddenly cupped her face in his hands and kissed her hungrily. "Hmm," she chuckled, allowing their lips to part only long enough to mumble a word or two. "Is this… your way of… begging… for forgiveness?" she whispered, between impassioned kisses.

"Mmm,hmm," he grunted, wrapping his arms tightly around her as he nodded his head, lost in her scent, her touch, the taste of her lips. "Is it working?" he whispered, Padme's heavy, labored breathing mingling with his own.

"Perfectly," she sighed softly, wrapping her left arm tightly around his neck and pulling him down with her as she fumbled clumsily with the buttons of her sundress with the other. Though the bright afternoon sun shone down as warmly as ever, it paled in comparison with the fires of passion that now burned brightly in the sunlit meadow beneath it.

* * *

Padmé squealed loudly, laughing almost hysterically as she stumbled backwards into his arms; she didn't have far to fall, and she threw her head back over her shoulder, giggling playfully as she felt Anakin catch her securely in his arms – just as she'd known he would, even as she'd fallen.

Their passionate romp in their warm, quiet meadow had culminated in a playful sprint back to the house – with their clothes still in their arms. Knowing full well that they couldn't just barge into the house in nothing but what they were born in, Anakin quickly and deftly flung their blanket around his shoulders.

"Good catch," she laughed, pausing only long enough to return his passionate kiss as he flung the blanket around them as he held her soft, sweat-drenched body close to his own. "I was right a little while ago," she giggled, her eyes sparkling up at him as she rubbed his bare arms affectionately. "You_ do_ have Jedi reflexes."

"Mmm, so do you," Anakin chuckled, kissing her passionately once more as she slipped a hand up from beneath the blanket and gently caressed his cheek.

"Hmm, just wait till later," Padmé purred, returning his hungry kiss with equal passion. "I'm not done with you yet," she laughed softly, bouncing her eyebrows playfully as she gazed fondly at him through a haze of disheveled brown hair. "Not by a long shot."

Still laughing, they stumbled up the stairs and into the kitchen, where – with a yelp of surprise – Padmé look up, just in time to see Threepio making his way quickly into the kitchen as Anakin closed the door behind them.

With a speed that would have amazed Master Yoda himself, Padmé threw her body back into Anakin's arms and quickly secured the bundle of clothes she held in her own beneath the folds of their blanket. "Threepio!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flushing even more as she watched their trusted old droid pause and look at them silently for a moment.

They were a curious sight indeed, and it was all Padmé could do to keep from laughing as she realized how utterly immature and irrational they must look. Here they were – husband and wife, father and mother, Jedi and padawan – both standing naked in their kitchen in front of their droid, with nothing but their blanket between them and Threepio's electronic eyes. She looked up at Anakin for a split second, and – as their eyes met in that silent, awkward moment – they both burst into laughter.

These were the moments that, she knew in her heart, would live in both of theirs forever.

"Goodness gracious me!" Threepio exclaimed, his yellow eyes blinking curiously, obviously taken back by the strange display in front of him. "Master Ani, Mistress Padmé," he said, taking a couple of cautious steps toward them as they stood there by the kitchen table, their blanket draped over them as they smiled sheepishly at him. "Are you both... naked under there?"

Anakin laughed out loud as Padmé answered him without a moment's hesitation. "Yes, Threepio," she replied with a smile and a nod, quite matter-of-factly, her tangled hair bouncing around her shoulders as she leaned back into Anakin's arms. "We're naked, and tired… and we need a shower."

Anakin buried his face in the thick hair at her shoulder, giving her soft, warm body another gentle squeeze as he held her close. He laughed, as quietly as he could, as he listened to how coolly and calmly she was handling this rather awkward little situation.

"Would you mind running back to our bedroom and turning on the water for us?" she asked, laughing beneath her breath as she smiled sweetly at him. "We're a little… _preoccupied_ at the moment," she chuckled, another splendid wave of chills sweeping down her shoulder as Anakin started to kiss her neck again.

"Oh, um, of course, Miss Padmé," Threepio stammered, watching curiously as his mistress and master continued to snicker quietly as they stood there, huddled together in the kitchen, bare feet, legs, and a mass of jumbled, wrinkled clothing poking out here and there from beneath the worn, colorful, grass-covered old blanket. "Right away."

"Thank you so much, Threepio," Padmé called after him, watching as he regarded them quietly for another moment, then turned and shuffled toward the door.

"Artoo's right," he mumbled quietly to himself as he made his way through the door, pausing as he heard Anakin and Padmé burst out laughing again, like a couple of playful children. "I'll never understand those two."

* * *

Their shower had been as delightful – and passionate – as their romp in the sun. She looked up at him from her place at her dressing table, gazing fondly at him in her mirror as he leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

"I love you, too," she sighed, closing her eyes as she reached out with her feelings, immersing herself in that wonderful, magical tremor. She gazed up at him, smiling as she pulled her brush slowly through her clean, damp hair.

"Did you have a good day?" Anakin asked, winking at her slyly as he flopped down onto their bed, still scrubbing his head with his towel.

"I did, it was a _wonderful _day," Padmé nodded, her face beaming as she carefully pulled her padawan braid out of the reach of her brush, and then went back to her hair. "And so did the kids. They always love it so much when their daddy gets to come home and have lunch with them," she said, gazing at him fondly as she placed her brush on the table in front of her.

"Well," Anakin sighed, nodding his head as he watched her stand up from her chair and comb her fingers through her hair in her usual fashion. "Just between you and me, Daddy enjoys it as much as they do," he chuckled, blue eyes sparkling as she smiled back at him.

"There," Padmé sighed contentedly, brushing her fingers through her damp curls as they fell around her shoulders. "I'm done!" she cried, quite pleased with herself as she bounded over toward the bed and flopped down beside Anakin, propping her head up on her arm as she smiled brightly at him.

"Going curly tonight, huh?" Anakin grinned, leaning over and kissing her playfully as she nodded her head. It always did, whenever she let it dry on its own.

"Yes," she nodded, tussling his hair with her fingers as she returned his kiss. "Just like you."

They both looked back toward the door as they heard Threepio's familiar knock. "Come on in, Threepio," Padmé called, sitting up and watching as he opened the door and took several steps into their room.

"Oh, Miss Padmé," Threepio chimed, quite apologetically as he waved his arms a bit frantically. "I do apologize for intruding on you and Master Ani, but there's a rather urgent matter that needs your attention."

"What's the matter, Threepio?" Anakin asked, hopping up off the bed and tossing his towel through the bathroom door, watching it as it came to rest on the edge of the sink.

Anakin reached down and picked up his shirt, turning to face his old friend as Padmé stood up and walked over to join them. "I was in the living room a moment ago when I heard your comlink go off, Master Ani," Threepio said, waving the small round device in his hand as Anakin quickly tossed his shirt onto his shoulders. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of answering it for you, seeing that you and Miss Padmé were, uhm…"

Threepio paused for a moment, long enough for Anakin and Padmé to exchange an amused glance. "Occupied," he finally said with a nod of his head, obviously quite pleased with his choice of words.

"That's fine, Threepio," Anakin replied with a nod. "Who was it?"

"It was Mistress Beru," Threepio said, his tone growing a bit more somber. "I'm afraid she seemed rather upset, and she asked me to have you call her as soon as possible."

Anakin and Padmé exchanged another glance. "Did she say what was wrong, Threepio?" Padmé asked, her expression growing a bit more serious.

"I'm afraid not," Threepio replied. "All she asked was that I have the both of you contact her, just as soon as you possibly could."

"That doesn't sound like Beru," Anakin mused, shaking his head as he and Padmé looked each other for a long moment. "Come on," he said, nodding his head as Padmé started toward the door, with him and Threepio following close behind. "Let's go down and use the transmitter in the ship. We'd better see what's up."

* * *

Padmé had never seen her like this; indeed, in the six years that she and Anakin had been together, since that first day when she had met her, she had rarely seen her face without its usual, radiant smile.

But that smile was gone now, and she felt her own heart ache along with Beru's, as she listened to her agonized sobs as they echoed through the cabin of their ship.

Padmé placed her hand gently on his shoulder, as she came and stood by his side; Anakin looked up at her, turning his attention away from the com station in the center of the ship's main console for a moment, and she instantly sensed what he was feeling, what he was thinking, as his eyes met hers.

She loved those deep blue eyes, she thought to herself, as she looked deeply into them as he turned his troubled gaze up to her. She remembered the first time she had lost herself in them, that warm, sunny morning on Naboo, six years ago, the day he had asked her to marry him.

They had changed so much since that moment so long ago; they were a window into her husband's soul, she had come to learn over the years, though it was a window that only she could see through clearly, a bridge into the depths of his heart, and hers, that only the two of them could cross. It was an intimate path that they crossed daily, one that filled her heart with a warmth and joy that she could never had found a way to put into words, when their souls and hearts would, in an instant, share their deepest, innermost thoughts and feelings.

Yet it hadn't only been a change that she could feel, but one that she could see as well. As time had passed, and Anakin's strength and oneness with the Force had increased, his eyes had changed with him, though neither one of them really knew why. Their color had darkened, from a light crystal blue to a rich indigo, as deep and pure as Naboo's oceans, and as warm and comforting as the sun on a crystal clear day. Their color captivated her each time she looked into them, so much so that she had worked tirelessly for weeks, until she had finally captured that amazing color in the blade of her new light saber. She saw many things when she looked into those eyes – love, happiness, passion, compassion – all those, and myriad other emotions swirled inside them, just like the currents of the ocean they so closely resembled.

It was concern that she sensed now, as she gazed into his eyes and sat down quietly beside him; she could sense the worry and compassion that tugged at his heart, as he turned his troubled eyes slowly back to the com station again, where Beru's transparent, blue-green image hung only a few centimeters above the holopad in front of them.

"Beru, I know you're upset," Anakin said, as comfortingly as he could as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, watching his sister-in-law's image as it flickered again above the holopad. "Just try to calm down for a minute, and tell me again exactly what happened."

Padmé squeezed Anakin's shoulder gently as she watched Beru nod her head slowly, and then take a long, halting breath._ "I'm sorry_," Beru said, her voice catching in her throat as she reached up and wiped away the tears that tracked down her cheek. _"I'm just so frightened. They've never been gone this long before."_

"I know you are," Anakin said softly, as he folded his hands and rested his chin on them thoughtfully. "But we'll find them. How long did you say they've been overdue?"

"_It'll be two days, at first light tomorrow morning_," Beru replied, as she reached up and slowly wiped her hand across her other cheek. _"They were supposed to be back early today."_

"_It's just not like her not to let us know they're okay, Anakin_," Beru continued, turning her pain-filled eyes toward him as she spoke. _"They've been late a couple of times before, but Shanda's always let us know that they're okay. Something's happened_," she said, her voice trembling as she looked down at her hands as she wrung them nervously in her lap. "_I know it."_

"How many children were they taking on this trip?" Anakin asked, lowering his folded hands in front of him as he looked at Beru's image on the holopad intently.

"_Two,"_ Beru replied; she paused, as she took another deep, halting breath. "_A little boy, about eight years old, and a girl about the same age."_

"Has Andar tried to contact the pilot they were supposed to meet?" Padmé asked, as Anakin and Beru both turned their attention to her. "Has he been able to find out anything?"

"_Yes_," Beru replied. _"And that's what makes it even worse. Andar said that the pilot told him Obi-Wan and Shanda never arrived at the rendezvous point at Anchorhead."_

"_Andar's as worried as we are_," Beru continued, as her image flickered again on the holopad. "_Something has to have happened to them, or they would have been there on time."_

Anakin and Padmé both looked at each other, as Beru sat quietly for a long moment. _"Anakin_," she said finally, watching them as they both turned their attention back to her again, _"I hate to ask so much of you, and I know that you and Padm__é __aren't supposed to leave Naboo right now, but__…__"_ she said, her tone growing much softer, almost apologetic, as she paused and sat quietly for another moment.

"_But could you please come and look for them?"_ she asked, turning her pleading, pain-filled eyes back up to his again. "_You're the only one who would even begin to know where to start looking."_

Padmé squeezed his shoulder tightly, as she watched him close his eyes for a moment and take a long, deep breath.

"Beru," Anakin said softly, as he looked back up at her image again. "You know I want to come and help, but I can't leave Padmé and the twins here right now," he said, shaking his head slowly as he spoke. "Especially not with everything that's been going on."

"_They could come with you_," Beru replied, her tone growing brighter as she pleaded with him. _"We've got plenty of room, you know that."_

"We could do that," Padmé said softly, watching as Anakin turned his troubled eyes toward her as she squeezed his shoulder again affectionately. "Beru's right," she said with a nod, as she smiled weakly at him. "You're the only one who can go and look for them. If they try to send anyone else, or if they go themselves, then they run the risk of tipping off the bounty hunters."

"It's the bounty hunters I'm worried about," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly. "If something has happened to Obi-Wan, then there's a chance they may have found out about the children, and traced them back to Andar," he said, turning his attention back to the holopad again.

Anakin glanced up at Beru again, watching her as she turned away from the console for a moment; as she did, he reached over quickly toward the com station, and Padmé watched as, with the tap of his finger, he switched off the outgoing audio.

"Or worse yet," he whispered, as he turned his troubled eyes to Padmé again, "They may trace Shanda back to Owen and Beru. If they do, I damn sure don't want you and the twins to be anywhere near there."

"I know, but that's all the more reason for us to go," Padmé replied, watching him as he looked down and shook his head slowly. "Owen and Beru could be in danger, too. We can't just sit here and wait for something to happen to them."

"This could all just be a big misunderstanding," Padmé said, reaching down and taking Anakin's hand in hers as he looked back at her again. "It's probably nothing, and Obi-Wan and Shanda will be back before we even get a chance to get there."

"But if it isn't," she said, looking deeply into his eyes as she spoke, "then you're the only hope the two of them have," she said, shaking her head slowly as her eyes searched his. "We can't just sit here and wait, Ani," she said softly. "We've got to go and try to find them."

"You know what Master Yoda will say," Anakin sighed, nodding his head slowly. "He's not going to like this one bit."

"I know," Padmé sighed, nodding her head in agreement. "And I know you're a member of the Council now, and you can't just break rules the way you used to," she said, the corner of her mouth curling into the hint of a smile as she spoke.

"But you were going to have to contact him anyway, to talk about my trials, right?" she asked, raising her eyebrows thoughtfully as she looked back at him. "Just tell him the truth, and everything that's going on," she said. "He respects your opinion, Ani," she said, nodding her head slowly. "Just tell him what you think, and ask him what he thinks we should do."

Anakin knew she was right; he knew in his heart, just as she did, that they couldn't just sit here and hope for the best. He looked down at her hand, squeezing it tightly in his for a long moment as he took a long, thoughtful breath. "Okay," he said, nodding his head slowly as he looked back up at her again. "I'll let Master Yoda know what's going on, and tell him what we want to do."

"We'll go with what he tells us," he said, watching her as she nodded her head slowly in agreement. "If he tells us to stay put, we stay put, no arguing. Agreed?"

"Okay," Padmé nodded. "Agreed."

She watched him, as he reached over and reactivated the outgoing audio on their com signal. "Beru," Anakin said, watching her image on the holopad as it flickered again in the soft cabin light. "I'm going to contact Master Yoda and let him know what's going on. If you don't hear differently from us in say, an hour," Anakin said, as he glanced over at the time display on the ship's main computer console, "then we'll see you on Tatooine at first light. Okay?"

"_Oh, thank you, Anakin,"_ Beru said, her tone brightening significantly as she closed her eyes and sighed deeply. _"I know I'm asking a lot of you, but thank you so much."_

"You're family, Beru," Anakin said quietly, as he smiled up at her image on the holopad again. "You're not asking anything, and we're just as worried as you are. I just need a little time to let Master Yoda know what's going on, that's all."

"Let us know if you hear from them before we get there," Anakin said, reaching over and locking the ship's receiver onto her incoming carrier signal. "I'll keep the channel open in case you try to call. We'll be there as soon as we can, okay?"

"_Okay_," Beru said, nodding her head firmly. _"I'll let Owen know you're coming."_

"Him and_ only_ him," Anakin cautioned, his tone growing much more serious as he spoke. "Don't even tell Andar we're on our way," he said. "We'll contact him when we get there. Understood?"

"_Understood_," Beru said. _"Thank you, Anakin. We'll see you all soon."_

"See you soon, Beru," Anakin said, as he reached over and switched off the com station; he and Padmé both watched, as Beru's image flickered again, and then faded quickly from the ship's holopad.

Anakin looked up at Padmé, as she stood up from her place beside him. "We shouldn't be gone more than a day or two," she said, as she squeezed his hand tightly. "I'll go pack our stuff and get the twins ready while you contact Master Yoda."

"Okay," Anakin sighed, nodding his head slowly as he stood up slowly beside her. "Guyton and Artoo should be back any minute," Anakin said, turning his thoughtful, troubled face to hers again. "Send Artoo out to the ship as soon as he gets here. We'll need him to get the ship ready," he said, glancing around the cockpit for a long moment.

Padmé followed his gaze, as he looked around the shiny new cockpit and sighed deeply. "I guess we're long overdue for a shakedown cruise anyway," he said, looking back at her with a troubled smile. "I guess now's as good a time as any."

Padmé smiled up at him reassuringly, as she placed her hand gently on his cheek. "Don't worry, Ani," she said, as she leaned up and kissed him softly. "I'm sure it's nothing and that Obi-Wan and Shanda are both fine," she said, as she grinned up at him. "They'll probably be home by the time we get there, and we'll just have a nice visit and be back in no time. You'll see."

"I know," he sighed, nodding his head slowly as he returned her smile and watched her, as she turned and walked quickly back through the ship toward the_ Destiny II's_ entry ramp.

She was probably right, he thought to himself, as he sat down in the pilot's chair and tapped the control pad on the com station, as he prepared to bring up the tiny Jedi master's carrier signal frequency. Obi-Wan and Shanda were probably just fine, and this was all a big misunderstanding.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. And he didn't like the place that nagging feeling was taking him.

* * *

The sharp edged, rusty shackles bit deeply into his wrists as the muscles of his body tensed, half in anticipation, half in response to the incredible pain as the man's huge fist slammed into his bloody cheek again, sending another explosion of stars cascading behind his eyes as his head struck the wet stone wall once again.

Obi-Wan could feel the warmth of his own blood as it mingled with the cool water that cascaded down his cheek from the continual shower that came down from the stone ceiling over his head; he slumped down against the wall, his knees buckling as his legs gave way again, and he grimaced as he felt those sharp, rusty shackles dig further into the flesh at his wrists as his full weight fell onto his arms, and the chains that bound him fast to the wall.

He blinked his eyes several times in the gloomy darkness, his breath coming in ragged, labored gasps, as he reached into the Force and tried to push back the mind numbing pain that coursed through his body. He shook his head, very weakly, as he tried to shake his soaking, matted hair from his face as he blinked back the rivulets of water that cascaded down his face and into his eyes, blurring his vision as he looked up at the two men who stood before him in the gloomy darkness.

He closed his eyes and grit his teeth hard, again, as he saw the huge, burly man draw his hand back once again, steeling himself as best he could for yet another crushing blow from the man's huge, rock hard fist.

"Enough!" he heard a dark, deep voice shout; he opened his swollen left eye very slowly, looking through the haze of water that coursed over his face, as he watched the tall, silver-haired man to his left reach up and seize the huge man's fist, just as it started to crash down on him again.

"You're going to kill him, you idiot, if you keep that up," the silver-haired man said, as he shoved the large man's fist away, motioning for him to step back. "He's of no use to us dead."

Obi-Wan watched, as best he could through the haze of blood, water and pain, as his enormous attacker took several steps back, and then watched in silence as the tall, slender man took several steps toward him. "And let me be perfectly clear on this," he growled, as he eyed the exhausted, badly beaten Jedi carefully for a long moment, and then turned his glaring eyes back to his associate. "If he dies, so do you."

"My apologies, Master Jedi," the tall man said, as Obi-Wan looked up at him. "You'll have to forgive my associate's manners," he said, turning and gesturing toward the dark, massive silhouette that stood a short distance away. "He's a bit of a brute, and not well schooled in the social arts of hospitality," he said, looking back at Obi-Wan with a wide grin, his bright white teeth gleaming in the gloomy darkness.

"I… never would… have guessed…" Obi-Wan stammered, his breath coming in long, labored gasps as he looked up at the mysterious man's silhouette, as he tried to lift himself to his feet again.

He grimaced with pain, as he felt the shackles that bound his wrists bite hard into his flesh again as he pulled himself up by the thick chains that bound him; he groaned, loud and painfully, as he managed to stand up and, leaning back against the wet, hard stone wall, he shifted himself so that he could get a better look at the man who stood before him.

He was a tall, muscular man; his long, silver-white hair was combed neatly back over the top of his head, where it hung loosely over his broad shoulders. His sharp, green eyes looked down the bridge of his chiseled nose at Obi-Wan as the unfortunate Jedi looked up at him as he surveyed his features; he was a regal, elegant man, one who looked supremely out-of-place in this dark, damp dungeon where Obi-Wan now found himself.

"What have you done… with the children?" Obi-Wan panted, as he looked down and surveyed the unusual pair of blasters that hung on the belt at the man's narrow waist. "So help me," Obi-Wan growled, as he looked up through the haze of water and blood that flowed over his eyes, "if you've harmed any of them, I'll…"

"Come now, Master Jedi," the man snorted, as he grinned down at Obi-Wan and surveyed him for a long moment. "We're both educated men," he said, as he reached around behind his back with one hand as he spoke. "There's no need for empty threats or displays here."

"Besides," he said, looking back at Obi-Wan with a sly grin as he held Obi-Wan's lightsaber out in front of him, watching with a keen sense of satisfaction as he watched the Jedi Knight eye it angrily. "Without this, and in your current condition, I'd dare say you don't pose too much of a threat at the moment, my friend."

"The children, and your young female associate, are fine for the moment," the man continued, reaching behind his back and securing Obi-Wan's weapon again out of sight. "I'm sure that you'll be pleased to know that they will very likely stay that way," he said, looking back at Obi-Wan as he folded his hands thoughtfully in front of him, taking another step closer to the badly beaten Jedi Knight. "As long as you coöperate."

"What is it… that you want with me?" Obi-Wan sputtered, struggling to catch his breath and shaking his head as another torrent of water flowed over him as he looked up at the mysterious man who stood before him, eyeing him carefully in the pale light.

Obi-Wan watched, as the man turned and took a few steps away from him, folding his hands behind his back thoughtfully as he walked. "I'm sure you're aware of the new Empire's edict concerning those of your kind," the man said, turning once again to face Obi-Wan again. "A Jedi, such as yourself, is a rare and valuable commodity these days, indeed."

"Especially you, Master Kenobi," he said, eyeing Obi-Wan coldly as he walked slowly toward him again. "The most sought after Jedi Knight in the galaxy," he said, his grin widening as he walked up to Obi-Wan and seized a handful of his wet, matted hair.

Obi-Wan groaned with pain, as the man jerked his head up so that he could see his face better. "Do you have any idea how big of a price the Empire has put on your head?" he said, looking back at Obi-Wan with a sinister smile. "You'll make me quite wealthy indeed, as soon as I turn you over to Lord Vader and his agents."

"Quite frankly, I don't really care what they want with you," the man said, releasing Obi-Wan's hair and turning away quickly, the sound of his boots mingling with the sounds of the water that sprayed onto the wall where Obi-Wan was bound as he paced slowly in the dark, cold cell. "I'm simply in this for the money. What I want from you, my friend," he said, "is for you to behave yourself and do as instructed."

Obi-Wan watched him, as he walked slowly across the cold, dark room again, and then turned to face him once more. "In return for your obedience," he said, taking a step closer to Obi-Wan, "I'll guarantee the safety of your young associates, at least for the time being. Is that understood?"

Obi-Wan nodded his head jerkily, sputtering as the water continued to cascade over his face. He looked up, through a blur of pain and water, watching as the mysterious, silver-haired man walked quickly toward him.

"Forgive me," he said, nonchalantly, as he leaned close to Obi-Wan, reaching around to a small compartment on the back of the Jedi Master's belt. "I almost forgot something."

Obi-Wan felt a sinking feeling deep in the pit of his stomach, as he watched the mysterious man pull a small blue disc from his belt and tuck it into his pocket. He looked up, astonished, as his eyes met the smirk on the man's face. As bad as he hated it, Obi-Wan could tell he'd enjoyed a great deal of delight and satisfaction at the astonished, bewildered look on his face.

"Take him back and put him in the cell with the others," he said, looking back at Obi-Wan with a grin as he gestured for the large, burly man to join him. "And remember, Master Kenobi," he said, placing his hands on the belt at his waist as he eyed his helpless captive for a long moment. "I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"It would be a dreadful shame if I were to have to punish those innocent children for your disobedience," he said, watching with a profound sense of satisfaction as Obi-Wan glared up at him, shaking his head as the continual torrent of water cascaded down his face. "Or that lovely girl who had the misfortune of traveling with you."

Obi-Wan watched, the sick, sinking feeling that gnawed at his stomach growing ever stronger, as the mysterious man stepped out of the cell and slammed the heavy metal door hard behind him.

He cried out once more, as the painful shackles bit into his wrists yet again as his boots slipped on the wet stone floor, sending his full weight back onto the chains that bound him as he fell. He struggled to pull himself up, shaking his head hard again as the torrent of water blurred his vision again.

He was in trouble this time; no weapon, no clue where they were, and no idea who it was that had him, or what it was he was up to. He grunted again, as the large fellow jerked him unceremoniously to his feet and began to unfasten the shackles that held him to the stone wall.

This was a tight spot indeed, as tight as any that he had ever faced; and he didn't know how he was going to get out of this one.

* * *

Anakin sat quietly in the pilot's chair, his eyes and attention focused as tightly on the small, flickering hologram as his senses were to the Force around him.

"_Hmm,"_ Master Yoda mused, his blue-green image flickering as he paused for a moment; his weathered brow was deeply furrowed, and Anakin could see him turn his cane slowly in his hands – as he often did when he was worried and thoughtful.

"_A troubling turn of events this is, Anakin_," Yoda said, frowning deeply as he turned his eyes back up to his young friend. _"How long, did you say, Obi-Wan and his apprentice have been missing?_"

"Almost two days now," Anakin replied, watching as Yoda sighed deeply and hung his head once more. "Beru said they were supposed to be back yesterday morning."

"_Unlikely it is, that failed to contact us, Obi-Wan would_," Yoda said, shaking his head as he looked up once more.

"I know, and I agree," Anakin replied with a nod. "And Shanda's never failed to let Owen and Beru know where she was. Something must have happened to them, Master," he said, shaking his head as he watched Yoda nod slowly in agreement.

"_Any clues, have you, as to where they might be_?" Yoda asked.

"Beru said they were supposed to meet the transfer pilot in Anchorhead," Anakin replied, leaning back in the pilot's chair as he rolled what he knew from his conversation with his sister-in-law over in his head. "We know they made it to Mos Espa, because Shanda called her from there to let her know they'd crossed the Jundland Wastes and made it back from Andar's," he said, turning his eyes once more to the little holopad. "I guess that would be as good a place as any to start looking."

"_Hmmm,"_ Yoda sighed, shaking his head slowly. _"Divided and quarrelsome, the New Council has become. Difficult it will be, with all that is happening, to convince Master Kuro and the others that a rescue is needed. Stretched thin, we are already_," Yoda said, shaking his head. "_To attempt a rescue, in such a dangerous place_," he paused, shaking his head slowly. "_Resist that, they will, unless no other option there is."_

Anakin's gaze hardened, and he felt that tiny flicker of anger growing deep inside of him. "Well, to be completely honest, I don't much care for Master Kuro anyway, Master," he said, making little effort to conceal his feelings about the tall, mysterious woman who now sat on the Council with them. "She and I…" Anakin paused, taking a deep breath as he carefully chose his words. "She and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things."

Yoda studied Anakin quietly for a moment. One thing he'd come to respect about Anakin was his open candor, and he couldn't help but smile as he realized how much like a former Senator he'd become over the last few years. He made little effort to hide his feelings and thoughts on a matter, and Yoda had come to rely on the fact that he could always count on Anakin to give him an honest, heartfelt answer – regardless of how unpopular or politically incorrect that answer might be. Just as Padmé now shared Anakin's formidable Force abilities, it seemed that Anakin now shared quite a bit of her tenacity and brashness. The door between them, it seemed, did in fact swing both ways.

"Master," Anakin sighed, glancing down at his clasped hands as he leaned forward a bit in his chair, "Beru has asked that I come to Tatooine and look for them," he said. He looked up, and then nodded his head slowly. "With your permission, I'd like to go."

Yoda took a deep, thoughtful breath, then sat quietly for a moment as he considered Anakin's request. _"Troubling, it is, to consider that Obi-Wan and Shanda might have fallen into danger,_" he said, shaking his head slowly as he looked back up at his young friend. "_And even more troubling, the thought of sending you to Tatooine at this time."_

"I know, Master," Anakin replied with a nod. "But I don't know what else we can do. We have to look for them, and I'm not willing to just give them up and hope for the best. Besides, I know Tatooine even better than Master Obi-Wan," he added, obviously doing his best to present a convincing argument. "Beru knows that, that's why she called me and asked me to go and look for them. I can find them, Master," Anakin said, nodding his head confidently. "I know I can."

"_Agree with her, I do, that best equipped to look for Obi-Wan and young Shanda you are,"_ Yoda replied, turning his large, round eyes back up to Anakin once more. _"But like it, I do not. A dangerous place, Tatooine is. And even more dangerous, with the Emperor's forces there."_

"I know, Master," Anakin replied; he paused, and then shook his head slowly. "But we can't just abandon Obi-Wan and Shanda."

Anakin sat there quietly, watching and waiting as Yoda took another long, deep breath, then sighed deeply. _"I agree. Very well __– __go then, to Tatooine, and attempt to ascertain quickly what has happened to Obi-Wan,"_ he said, nodding his head. _"But, unsanctioned this attempt will be,_" he said, waving his hand slowly. _"No help, can you expect, from the Council, until proof you can find of what has happened to Obi-Wan. Only your padawan, and what you take with you, will you have to help you."_

"Master," Anakin asked, folding his hands thoughtfully in front of him as he carefully considered his words. "Padmé has been preparing for her Trials, and I think she's ready," he said. "It think she was planning on staying with Beru and the children, but with your permission…"

Yoda eyed Anakin thoughtfully for a long moment; he knew what he was preparing to ask. _"Many different forms, the Trials may take,"_ he said, his large ears wiggling as he cocked his head and looked back at Anakin._ "Only know you, Anakin, if your padawan is truly ready for such a mission,"_ he said, nodding his head slowly. _"Defer to your judgement, on this matter, I will. If feel you that ready she is,"_ he said, pausing as he took a long breath and sighed deeply,_ "then accompany you on this mission, she will."_

"Thank you, Master," he replied, nodding his head slowly. "Padmé and I will leave right away."

"_Very good,"_ Yoda replied, his small hand reaching out toward the controls of his holoprojector. _"Contact me, as soon as you reach Tatooine. Go carefully_," he said, nodding his head at the young Jedi Knight. _"And may the Force be with you both."_

Anakin watched as Yoda's image flickered for a moment, and then faded into nothingness. "May the Force be with us all, Master," he sighed quietly, as he leaned back in the _Destiny II's_ pilot's chair. He reached over and powered down the transmitter, and he sat there for a long moment, staring quietly out of the window.

He knew what he had to do; he knew what he should do. There was only one nagging question, though, as he stood up and glanced quietly around the ship's cabin for a moment, then slowly made his was toward the back of the ship.

Would he be strong enough to do it?

* * *

"Mistress Padmé," Threepio said, turning and watching Padmé from his place beside her bed as she walked across their bedroom to Anakin's closet again, "I know that you and Master Ani are both quite knowledgeable about such things, and I certainly don't mean to question your judgment," he said, as he watched her open the closet door and glance back across the room toward him.

"But are you absolutely certain that traveling to Tatooine right now is a good idea?" he asked, his luminous yellow eyes shining brightly in the soft light of their bedroom as he watched her pick up several of Anakin's tunics and place them into the crook of her arm.

"What's the matter, Threepio?" Padmé asked, pausing and turning a puzzled, somewhat amused expression toward her electronic friend. "You don't think this is a good idea?"

"Oh, I don't mean to question your reasons for going, Mistress Padmé," Threepio said, turning slowly and watching as she walked over beside him and laid Anakin's clothes on the bed beside their travel case. "But I'm afraid that the whole notion of space travel unnerves me at the moment."

The actuator motors in the tall, slender droid's body whined smoothly as he moved; he was quite animated, more so than usual, and he watched her intently as she stood by their bed, her attention fixed on the large, brown travel case in front of her.

Padmé reached up with her free hand, sweeping her long, wavy tresses back over her shoulder, and then went back to her work. She was lovelier than ever, Anakin was fond of saying, and Threepio would have had to agree with him, though he had no real knowledge or understanding of what physical beauty actually was. The electronic mind that Anakin had given him so many years ago was quite nimble, remarkably resilient, and he understood a great many things; yet physical beauty was something that was keenly dependent on the person making the assessment of it, a fact that he had come to understand, even though he still couldn't perceive how it actually worked. The best that he could do, he thought to himself as he watched her quietly pack their clothes neatly into the case, was compare how she had appeared when he had first met her so long ago with how she appeared now, something that was quite simple for him to do, as he quickly pulled the oldest images of her from deep inside of his electronic memory.

Her appearance had changed quite a bit over the past few years, and even more so since Luke and Leia had been born. She was still quite petite and slender, much as she had always been; yet training to become a Jedi was difficult, not only from a mental and spiritual sense, but a physical one as well, and the rewards of her labor and dedication were just as evident in her appearance as they were in the strong tremor that issued forth from her into the Force around her.

She had always commanded a strong presence, from her earliest days as Queen of Naboo, and she still did; yet now, that deep, inner strength was complimented by a physical one, one that worked in perfect harmony with its inner counterpart. Her muscles and body were as toned and fit as her mind was sharp, and the many hours she had spent out in the sun training with Anakin and spending time with her children had imbued her skin with a warm, golden tan. The curl in her hair had become much more prevalent over the gradual passage of time, and its color was a bit lighter, bearing the telltale golden highlights of so many hours spent outdoors. She no longer looked like the soft, ivory-skinned doll that had worn those ceremonial robes and senate gowns so long ago; no, like Anakin, she now looked much more like the warrior that she had become, as the Force had worked its influence in her life.

Greater still, though, was the change wrought on her by what was, without a doubt, one of the strongest forces in Nature. Yoda had noticed it, almost immediately, when he had first seen her together with her newborn twins on Deyer. It was a new experience, as he had watched her tenderly care for her two tiny children, not only for Padmé, but for the venerable, aged Jedi Master as well; motherhood was something that the Jedi Order had never experienced, and Yoda would have readily admitted that even he had no idea how this foray into such uncharted territory would turn out.

They had all taken a gamble that day in Master Windu's chambers, when they had blessed Anakin and Padmé's union. Love, especially romantic love, was an extremely powerful force, one that held a sway over a heart and mind that few things could equal. That was, for the most part, the reason that the Order had passed the edict against it, and had held to it so strongly, for so many generations. It wasn't that the Order disapproved of love in and of itself; no, quite simply, they had intended to prevent ever placing a Jedi in a position of having to choose between his duty and his mate. They knew the power of love, and they understood it far better than many would have believed; even the wisest and strongest of them, were they placed in the position of making such a choice, would have found it an almost impossible decision to make.

Anakin and Padmé's love had been even stronger, and the Force, for whatever reason, had seen fit to join the two of them together in a way that none of the wisest in the Order could understand, yet one thing was clear; the two of them were meant to be together, and Yoda had watched, with keen interest, as the Force had worked so strongly in both of their lives, as the bond between them had continued to strengthen and grow.

But even Yoda, with all of his wisdom, could never have foreseen how motherhood, and the undying love and dedication that came with it, would have affected her. Padmé had become fiercely protective, as the months had passed, of her two children, and of Anakin as well. Her life revolved around them, just as Anakin's revolved around hers; yet her fierce devotion to her family had permeated every aspect of her life, and, as her strength and oneness with the Force had grown, she had learned how to use it to her own advantage.

She had never forgotten the words that Yoda had spoken to her, that day on Deyer when she took her first steps into this strange new world as Anakin's padawan. Indeed, hardly a moment of any day passed when she wasn't aware of them, wasn't in contact with their familiar tremors that flowed so strongly through the Force. He had told her that someday, somehow, it would fall to her to protect them, and she had worked tirelessly to make sure that, when that day came, she would be ready.

Padmé looked up from the case in front of her, as she heard her droid address her again. "I think I should just prefer it you and Master Ani could find some way to avoid going to that dreadful, arid place," Threepio said, turning his nimble, electronic mind from his thoughts back to her, not making much effort to hide the tone of worry in his electronic voice. "Are you both quite certain that there's no other way to help?"

The soft smile on Padmé's lovely face widened, and Threepio watched as she raised her eyebrow and looked at him curiously. "Come on, Threepio," she said with a grin, cocking her head as she stood up straight and placed her hands on her slender hips. "You've been to Tatooine with us lots of times. You've never had any qualms about going before," she said, reaching down and picking up another of Anakin's tunics from the bed beside her. "Why so worried now?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Padmé," Threepio said apologetically, as he watched her place the dark brown tunic in the case next to her own clothes. "But with everything that's happened in recent days, and now with poor Master Kenobi and Miss Shanda missing," he said, shuffling around a bit and following Padmé with his electronic eyes as she went back to Anakin's closet again, "I'm just understandably concerned for your safety."

"Well, that's sweet of you to say, Threepio," Padmé said, as she picked up the rest of Anakin's clothes and tucked them into the crook of her arm. "But let's not jump to conclusions just yet," she sighed, as she walked back over to the bed beside him again. "We're just going to check on them, and there's a very good chance that they'll have already gotten back by the time we get there," she said, tucking the clothes in her hands neatly into the large case beside the others.

"It's just that, in light of what happened last week," Threepio said softly, taking several shuffling steps toward her as he watched her stop and look up at him thoughtfully as he spoke, "I can't help but be concerned about your safety, and Master Ani's," he said. "And the children's."

Threepio had never quite relinquished the task that Anakin had given him that night, two years ago, when he had bade him watch over her as he and Obi-Wan had departed for Coruscant. Indeed, he had taken that request to heart, or whatever internal maze of circuits and synapses comprised a droid's equivalent, and he still tended to watch over her, almost as keenly as she watched over Luke and Leia. Padmé smiled, as she looked up at him; she had grown rather fond of his doting, over-protective habits, even if they could be trying at times.

She took a deep breath, as she stood silently for a moment; her expression grew a bit more somber as she let her mind drift back to the awful news they had received only a few days ago. "I know you're worried, Threepio," she said, nodding her head slowly as she reached down and picked up another of Anakin's tunics from the bed where she had placed them.

"And what happened on Coruscant last week was a terrible, horrible tragedy," she said softly, as she ran her fingers across the soft, well-worn material, very thoughtfully, as she took a long, deep, troubled breath.

"But there was nothing that Yoda, or Anakin, or anyone else could have done to stop it," she said, turning her troubled face back to Threepio as she placed the tunic in her hands in the case and smoothed it gently with her own. She stood quietly for a long moment; Threepio watched silently, as, for just a brief moment, her usually bright and cheerful face suddenly carried a deep, heavy burden; she looked, for that instant, much like she had so many years ago, when she had carried the troubles and burdens of an entire planet on her young shoulders.

"Besides," she sighed, as she finally managed to coax the smile back onto her face and walked over to Anakin's closet again. "The _Destiny II's_ a good ship, even better and faster than her namesake," Padmé said, as she reached over to the hook just inside Anakin's closet door and retrieved his weapon vest.

"Even _with_ the stepped up patrols," she said, looking back at her metal friend as she walked over and laid the dark brown leather vest on their bed beside the case she'd been packing, "we should be able to get there without anyone detecting us."

"So let's not get ourselves worked up into a panic just yet, okay?" she said, smiling at him reassuringly as she reached up and placed her hand gently on his metal shoulder for a moment. "I'm sure everything's going to be just fine."

"I'm sure you're right, and I really don't mean to be a bother, Miss Padmé," Threepio said, turning his attention quickly to their bedroom door as he heard it begin to open. "And I know this sounds selfish, but… I can't help but wonder what would happen to the children if some sort of ill fortune should befall you and Master Ani."

Padmé watched him, curiously, as he paused for a moment and looked down at the floor in front of him. "Not to mention, what might become of myself and Artoo," he said quietly, as he looked back up at her.

Padmé closed her eyes and sighed, shaking her head slowly as she suddenly heard Anakin's voice behind her.

"I'm not intruding, am I?" he asked, peering around the doorway as he pushed it open.

"Of course not, sweetheart," Padmé replied, her face brightening as he stepped into the room to join them. "Threepio and I were just having a conversation, that's all," she said, smiling warmly at their droid as he stood there between them. "He was just expressing his concern for our well-being," she said, exchanging a knowing glance with her husband as she watched him pat Threepio soundly on the shoulder.

"You don't have a thing to worry about, Threepio," Anakin said, as reassuringly as he could. "If you don't mind," he said, seizing an opportune moment as Threepio turned his yellow eyes up to him, "how about running down and giving Artoo a hand with the ship? He could probably use your help."

"Of course, Master Ani," Threepio chimed, standing up straight as he nodded his head firmly. "I'll see to it, right away," he said, and, nodding respectfully to his mistress once more, he turned and shuffled off down the hallway.

"How's the packing coming?" Anakin asked, watching as Padmé tucked his weapon belt neatly into their travel case.

"Good," she nodded, as he came and sat down on the bed beside her. "I've only got a few more things to pack, and we should be ready to go. What did Master Yoda say?" she asked, looking at him curiously as she sat down on the bed next to him.

"He wants us to go," Anakin nodded; he paused, then took a long deep breath and sighed deeply, his eyes searching hers. "And he wants you to come with me."

Anakin could sense the trepidation that suddenly gripped her, as she squeezed his hand tightly, then began to nod her head slowly. "This will be your first real mission," he said softly, cupping her hand tightly in his. "This isn't practice, or training," he said, shaking his head as she swallowed hard, then nodded again. "This is for real."

They sat there quietly, hand in hand, for a long time. His words had struck her like a stone, and she realized that she suddenly felt something she hadn't anticipated; for the first time since she'd begun her training over two years ago, the hard, harsh reality of just what she'd been training for hit home, and it struck with the fierceness of a white-hot saber blade.

This was for real. And so was the danger.

It took her a moment to find her voice, to push back the cold wall of fear and reality that had struck her. "I'm ready," she whispered, nodding her head as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. So immersed, was she, in her own feelings, that it caught her off guard somewhat as she heard Anakin's reply, as soft and weak as her own.

"I'm not."

She looked back at him; the wave of trepidation and fear that she'd felt a moment before was replaced by one of concern, as she looked at his ashen, pale-white face; he was as pale as a ghost.

"Anakin, what's wrong?" she asked softly, wrapping her arm tightly around his shoulders as she sensed what he was feeling; it had overtaken him as quickly as her own feelings had overcome her. She sat there, rubbing his shoulder gently, until he finally spoke.

"Twice in my life," Anakin said finally, his voice trembling, "I've stood there, not more than ten meters from you, and watched something terrible happen to you," he said, slowly turning his face to hers again.

Padmé felt the last of the fear in her heart melt away, as she saw the pained, anguished look in her husband's eyes as they searched hers quietly as he continued. "The first time was in that Tusken camp," he said, very softly. "And the second was on that catwalk on Mustafar."

"Both times," Anakin said, hanging his head and closing his eyes again, "I was right there with you, and there wasn't anything I could do to prevent what happened to you."

Padmé squeezed his hand tightly, pulling him close as he continued. "I know you think I'm strong, Padmé," he said, shaking his head as he sat quietly beside her on the foot of the bed. "But I'm not strong enough."

"I almost lost you, twice," Anakin said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can't lose you again," he said, turning his troubled eyes back to her again. "I'm not strong enough."

Padmé closed her eyes, as she pulled him close to her and laid her head gently on his shoulder; they both sat there silently, for a long time, holding tightly to one another, until Padmé finally spoke again.

"I guess neither one of us was as ready as we thought we were," she said softly, as she lifted her head from his shoulder and placed her hand gently on his cheek, turning his face toward hers. "I know why you're afraid, and so am I," she said, nodding her head gently as her eyes searched his.

"And I love you, so very much," she said, a soft smile spreading across her face as she reached out to him with her feelings. "But we both know that this is the path we chose," she said, nodding her head as her eyes searched his. "And we chose it together, remember?"

"I know," Anakin replied, nodding his head slowly as he took her hand and closed his eyes, turning his face back down the floor again. "And I know it's time, and that you're ready, I really do."

He smiled, somewhat painfully, as he looked back up at her again. "I guess I'm just having a hard time letting go," he said softly, as he squeezed her hand tightly.

"I don't want you to let go, and you don't have too," Padmé said, as she leaned over close to him; she closed her eyes, as she kissed him tenderly on the cheek for a long moment. "I want you to hold on to me, very tightly, just like I'm going to hold on to you," she said, as she opened her eyes and looked into his deep blue eyes again. "I can't do this by myself," she said softly. "And I don't ever want to try."

"But I want to do it, Anakin," Padmé said, nodding her head firmly as she looked back at him. "I have to. It's what I've become, and what I'm supposed to be, I know that," she said, looking at him inquisitively as she squeezed his hand tightly. "It's what _we're _supposed to be."

"I know," Anakin said softly, nodding his head as he looked back down at the floor in front of him again. "I've known for a long time," he sighed, and he paused for another moment, sitting quietly on the bedside as he held her hand tightly in his.

Padmé smiled, as she heard him finally speak again. "I want you to promise me that you'll listen to me, and that you'll do _exactly _what I tell you to," he said, as he turned a resigned, serious expression to her again. "Can you do that?"

"Of course I can," Padmé replied, nodding her head firmly as she grinned back at him. "You always listened to Obi-Wan, didn't you?" she asked, smiling slyly at him as she watched him close his eyes again and shake his head slowly.

"Very funny," he chuckled, as he stood up, then pulled her up beside him. She watched him as, letting her hand slip free, he walked over to their dresser and retrieved her weapon belt and light saber from the drawer where she kept them.

"Let's get the rest of our things packed," he said, offering her a reassuring smile as she took her weapon from him. "We need to get going."

* * *

Anakin's boots echoed loudly through the ship's central cabin, as he walked quickly up the entry ramp; he reached the top in only a few steps, and he turned quickly and pressed the control switch on the panel near the bulkhead.

He turned and looked over his shoulder toward the cockpit, as he suddenly heard Padmé's voice call to him. "Did you find the satchel I was talking about?" she called, her voice echoing through the cabin over the smooth hum of the ramp as it closed behind him.

"Yep," Anakin called loudly, turning his attention to the control pad again as he heard the ramp close with a solid thump. He reached up and tapped the control pad again, watching as the yellow indicator flashed twice, and then lit up solid green as the ramp's locks engaged.

He shifted the heavy, bulky satchel on his shoulder as he turned and walked quickly toward the cockpit. "What in the world does she have in this thing?" he grumbled, as he wrapped his hand tightly around the thick, corded strap, turning himself carefully to make room for the sizeable satchel that hung across his back as he stepped through the narrow bulkhead doorway.

"How are we looking, Artoo?" Anakin asked, as he glanced across the large, oval-shaped cockpit to the main control terminal; he watched, as he lowered the heavy satchel from his shoulder, as Artoo began to whistle brightly, as his data probe spun the control wheels quickly.

"Artoo says that everything seems to be in order, Master Ani," Threepio said, looking back at Anakin as he stood quietly at Artoo's side. "He says that we should be ready to depart in just a few moments, as soon as the main plasma igniters complete their warmup sequence."

"Good," Anakin replied with a nod, as he placed his left hand on the ship's bulkhead and watched as Artoo swung his sensors toward him. "Go ahead and bring the engines online, as soon as the igniters are ready."

"Yes, Master Ani," Threepio replied, turning his electronic eyes to the small display in front of the little astrodroid. "If Artoo's calculations are correct, we should make orbit around Tatooine in four point seven three hours," he said, turning to look at Anakin again. "Baring any sort of problems or mishaps, of course."

"Well, let's try not to have any of those," Anakin sighed, as he turned his attention to the passenger bench beside him.

"Here," he said with a grunt, grinning down at Padmé as she knelt beside the long, thickly padded bench that ran along the anterior wall of the ship's cockpit. "Take this thing," he said, as she reached up and took it from him. "It weighs a ton. What's in it, rocks?"

"Just the essentials, Daddy, nothing more," she said, looking back at Luke and Leia with a grin as she placed the large satchel on the ship's deck beside her, and then went back to securing them into their seats.

"Sit still, Leia," Padmé said, frowning at her daughter as she wiggled and squirmed on the bench as her mother fastened the thick belt across her small lap. "You won't have to wear this long, I promise," she said, watching her daughter as she pulled on the strap that bound her to the bench and whined unhappily. "Just till we get into orbit and Daddy turns on the inertial dampers."

"You need some help?" Anakin asked, watching her as she grinned up at him.

"No, I think we've about got it now," Padmé said, as she turned her attention to the satchel he'd brought her; Anakin watched as she reached into the satchel and took out two small toys. "Here," she said, smiling softly at her two children as she handed a toy to each of them, and then kissed them both gently on their happy, beaming faces. "This should keep you two busy for a while."

Anakin looked down at his son, as he suddenly heard his small voice fill the cockpit. "We onna see Berwu?" Luke said, his eyes twinkling brightly as he looked back at his mother and squeezed the toy she had given him tightly in his small hands.

"Yes, baby, we are," Padmé laughed, reaching up and rubbing Luke's stomach playfully, as he pulled the toy in his hands to his mouth, giggling quietly to himself as he beamed back at her. "Are you looking forward to seeing Aunt Beru again?"

"Uh,huh," Luke replied, nodding his head firmly, his fine, sandy hair flopping over his eyes as he grinned up at his father. "Onna sit wif Daddy," he said suddenly, holding his arms out to his mother and turning his attention back to her again.

"Not right now, baby," Padmé replied, shaking her head gently as she glanced up at Anakin with a grin. "Daddy's got to fly the ship right now," she said, as she watched her son stick his lip out and begin to pout as he flopped back against the bench where he and his sister sat.

Anakin chuckled to himself, as he watched her lean forward and kiss him firmly on his tiny lips. "Oh, what a sad, pouty face," she said playfully, laughing quietly to herself as she watched him laugh, and then push her away.

"You can both sit with me and Mom in the pilot's seats," Anakin said, watching as his two children looked up at him from their seats as their mother checked their harnesses one last time. "As soon as we get going. I promise."

Padmé looked up at Anakin, as he extended his hand to her; she took it, squeezing it tightly as he helped her up to her feet.

"Did you get in touch with Guyton?" she asked, looking up at him curiously as she reached down and dusted off the knees of her dark brown pants.

"I did,"Anakin replied, nodding his head firmly. "I told him we were going to have to go away for a few days, and he's going to keep an eye on the shop while we're gone."

"Will he be okay?" Padmé asked. "He's never had to handle it by himself before, not for more than just a few hours."

"Oh, sure, he'll do fine," Anakin replied, as he reached down and took her hand gently in his again. "We'll be back in no time, anyway."

Padmé cocked her head and looked back at him, a curious smile on her face as he looked at her, quietly, for a long moment.

"What is it?" she asked, grinning back at him as she felt him squeeze her hand tightly as he studied her silently in the cockpit's soft light.

It was the first time he had seen her new Jedi attire, or at least that he'd seen her wearing it; she had made it herself, and, though he had seen each part of it as she'd worked on them, she had steadfastly refused to let him see her try it on. She had used her old flight suit, most of the time, when they were training, and while he liked that one, he had to admit that this new uniform that she had constructed was a vast improvement.

"I like it," he grinned, as he watched her reach up and toss her neatly braided ponytail over her shoulder. "It looks good," he said, watching the bright smile that spread across her face as he nodded his head approvingly. "You did a really good job."

"Do you really like it?" she asked, as she let go of his hand and took a step back, so that he could see her better. "I tried to make it look a lot like yours," she said, looking back over her shoulder at him with a grin as she turned around slowly in front of him. "How'd I do?"

Anakin smiled, as he looked at the form-fitting, brown and black outfit that she wore; it did indeed resemble his, very much so, even down to the dark brown, black-trimmed sleeveless leather vest that covered her brown tunic and pants. Her weapon belt was fastened securely around her narrow waist, and he smiled again as he watched the hilt of her new light saber swing gracefully from its place on her right side.

"Hey," he said, his eyebrow lifting curiously as he suddenly saw the smaller, unusual weapon that rested snuggly in a pouch on her belt, just at the small of her back. "I see you finished the other one, too."

"Mmm,hmm," Padme nodded, as she turned round to face him again. "While you and Threepio were checking the fuel cells," she said. "I want you to check it when we get to Tatooine, though, and make sure the emitters are adjusted right."

I'm sure it's fine," Anakin replied. "You look great," he said, nodding his head again firmly as she giggled quietly to herself and bounced several times on the toes of her tall, black boots. "Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan will be impressed."

Padmé's smile softened, as she watched him take a step closer to her; she looked down and watched, as he took her hand gently in his again and pulled her close to him.

"Listen, when we were talking earlier," Anakin said softly, turning his eyes down toward the ship's deck in front of him as she looked up at him. "I want you to know that I didn't think for a moment that you weren't ready for this," he said, looking back up into her deep brown eyes as he turned a deeply apologetic face to her. "I never meant to imply that…"

"Shhh," Padmé shushed, reaching up and placing her finger gently on his lips as she stopped him in mid-sentence. "I never thought that, not for a minute," she said, as she reached up and gently caressed his cheek. "I know exactly what you were trying to say," she said, nodding her head slowly as she smiled up at him.

"And to tell you the truth," she sighed, as she grinned up at him, "I feel the same way about sending you into duty again," she said, her eyes twinkling brightly as she grinned up at him. "But at least this time I get to go with you."

"That _IS _a definite improvement over last time," Anakin smiled, closing his eyes and sighing contentedly as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly for a long moment.

Padmé closed her own eyes, sighing contentedly, as she felt his strong arms wrap tightly around her; she giggled quietly to herself as she suddenly heard his voice, as he pressed his cheek close to hers and whispered softly in her ear.

"I love you," Anakin whispered softly, rubbing the small of her back affectionately as he held her close. "You _do_ know that, don't you?"

Padmé looked up at him; she placed her hand gently on his cheek again, as she looked deeply into his eyes for a long moment. "Of all the things I know in this world," she finally said, nodding her head slowly, "that's the one I'm_ most_ sure of."

They both looked over at the ship's main console, as they heard the ship's new engines begin to whine slowly as Artoo fired the injectors and brought plasma coils online. "So," Anakin said, as she turned her attention back to him again as he held her in his arms. "You want to take her out for her maiden voyage?"

"Really?" Padmé said, her face beaming brightly as she grinned up at him. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," Anakin said, nodding his head firmly as he took hold of her shoulders and turned her toward the pilot's chair. "After all," he said, smiling at her slyly as she grinned back over her shoulder at him. "She's your ship, remember?"

"_Our_ ship," Padmé corrected, as she turned the copilot's chair to the side and took a seat in it. "I just named her, remember?" she said, as he stepped up beside her and took a seat in the copilot's chair.

Anakin turned and watched as she reached over and pressed the button on the main console beside her. "Okay, Artoo," Padmé said, reaching up and pushing her bangs out of her eyes as she looked over at their little round companion. "Transfer all engine controls to the main pilot's station," she said. "And you'd probably better take a seat, too, Threepio," she said, watching as he shuffled quickly over to the bench where Luke and Leia sat, watching them quietly.

"It's been a long time," Padmé said, looking back at Anakin with a wide grin as she wrapped her hands tightly around the control yoke in front of her. "I hope I remember how to do this," she sighed, raising her eyebrows as she reached over and wrapped her right hand firmly around the ship's main throttle controls. "I guess we'll find out soon enough, huh?"

"Oh, my," Threepio said, turning and sitting down on the bench beside Luke as he felt the engines begin to whine, louder and louder, as Padmé reached over and pushed the throttle forward smoothly, bringing them quickly up to speed. "I've never really cared for space travel, Master Luke," he said, looking down at the tiny boy beside him as he fished around quickly for the safety harnesses where he sat. "Especially when your mother's at the controls."

"Engine plasma mix is at ninety three percent, and holding steady," Anakin said , as he glanced over at Padmé'. "Looks like Artoo's done his job," he said, looking over at his little round friend as he reached over and switched on the _Destiny II's_ running lights. "Now the rest is up to you."

"Everybody hold tight," Padmé sighed, as she reached over and engaged the ship's maneuvering thrusters. "Here we go!"

The grass in the field behind the hangar began to wave excitedly, as the hot gas from the Destiny II's thrusters whipped out from the open hangar door as Padmé maneuvered the sleek, silver ship out into the open. It's flashing yellow running lights illuminated the wildly waving grass, over and over, as the ship cleared the hangar, and bright light of the larger of Naboo's moons shone brightly on her smooth, silver hull as the ship paused for just a moment, and then began to turn slowly toward the house on the hill above it. It hung there, perfect still, for a long moment, its thrusters keeping it in perfect station as the main engines began to whine and glow brightly.

The bright yellow running lights traced the path up the hillside to their home, as the ship suddenly surged forward; their brilliant, amber glow only illuminated the roof of their now dark, quiet home for a brief instant, as it surged up the hillside and passed over it's roof, and then sped up into the clear, evening sky and disappeared into the wispy clouds high above.

For the first time in two years, the small house sat dark and silent, much as it had before they had found it and made it their home, with nothing but the soft sounds of the meadow around it filling the cool, evening air.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: Let the Trials Begin**_

The old, rusty door creaked loudly, as Micah Elisar pulled it open and stepped inside the small, cramped room. He made his way toward the small communication console near the center of his makeshift office, glancing around disgustedly as he reached it. "The sooner I'm finished here, the better," he grunted, his chiseled nose wrinkling in disgust as he looked at the dingy, yellow-brown walls; they'd been hewn from the rust colored sandstone hundreds of years before, long before Gardola the Hutt called this place home as he now did.

The tall, silver-haired bounty hunter flung the cloak from his shoulders, tossing it over the edge of the dusty old desk as he pulled the old, worn chair out from beneath it. He took a seat, and then leaned back as far as it would allow him as he propped his dark leather boots up on the edge of the desk.

The Hutts did have one redeeming quality, and that was that they tended to enjoy the company of bounty hunters like Elisar, and it was little wonder that Micah had chosen this place when he'd begun his search for Kenobi. As always, the information he'd purchased from the slug-like smuggling lord had been extremely expensive… yet it had proven to be just as accurate. That, combined with the information he'd received from those who'd hired him, had proven well worth the expense; he'd easily make back several times what it'd cost him when he turned Kenobi over to them.

He reached down, producing the small translucent data disc he'd retrieved moments before from the badly beaten Jedi's belt. He looked at it, a grim smile spreading across his face as he turned it, watching as it glistened in the pale light. He glanced over at the timepiece on the desk, then back at the comm station as he heard the two tell-tale tones that indicated the transmitter was online, and then he quickly slipped the small disc into the transmitter's encryption slot. He narrowed his eyes, watching as the small, aged holoprojector flashed and sparkled a few times, and then hummed to life, a familiar image appearing directly above it.

"_I take it from the fact that you're able to contact me that you were successful. Do you have him?_"

"Yes," Elisar said, with a firm nod of his head. "Your information proved to be exceptionally accurate. We found him right where you said he'd be."

"_Good. Any complications?_"

"Nothing significant," Elisar replied with a deep sigh. "We had a little trouble with the pilot they were supposed to rendezvous with, but my men took care of him quickly enough."

The mysterious figure paused for a moment, and Elisar's narrowed eyes watched as the image flickered above the holopad, then stabilized. "_No messes, I hope?_"

"Don't patronize me," Elisar growled in reply. "You know full well who you're dealing with."

The response was quick, and firm. "_Indeed I do. The fact that you managed to capture him shows your reputation is well deserved. But, I advise caution. Kenobi is very dangerous. Don't underestimate him._"

"Don't worry," Elisar replied. "I can handle him. By the way," he said, the corner of his mouth turning up into the hint of a grin, "You do realize, Kenobi knows I have this. If he's as smart as you say he is, it won't take him long to figure out what's going on. Have you considered that little problem?"

"_What he knows will make no difference, just so long as you keep up your end of the bargain," _the mysterious figure replied._ "When the Imperial flagship arrives at the rendezvous point near Tatooine, I'll advise you as to when you're to deliver him to Lord Vader. Understood?"_

"Clearly," Elisar said, short and tersely. "Just make sure you have my money."

"_Don't worry, you'll be well compensated. But no slip ups, Elisar. You're being very well paid for this. I expect you to live up to your reputation. It would be unfortunate if Lord Vader were__… __disappointed."_

The smile returned once more to Elisar's thin lips. "Unfortunate for who? Me, or you?"

"_Don't make yourself a sarcastic fool, Elisar. Just keep to the plan. I'll advise you further as needed. And there's one more thing."_

"Yes?"

"_If Skywalker takes the bait, Lord Vader has advised that the Emperor's forces intend to capture him before he reaches the surface," _the mysterious figure said. "_If that fails, and he makes it to the planet's surface, we'll need you to find him."_

Elisar sat quietly for a moment. "I don't imagine that will be a problem," he sighed, pursing his lips as he looked at the holographic image thoughtfully for a moment. "I'm sure the Emperor's crack Imperial troops can handle one Jedi."

"_As I said, don't underestimate these two, Elisar. Doing so could prove to be the last stupid thing you'll ever do in this lifetime."_

Elisar rolled his eyes, then sighed deeply. "Very well, I'll be ready," he said, and then he leaned forward and glared at the holopad, his eyes narrowing to slits in the dim light. "But you be ready as well. For double the work, I expect double the pay."

"_Understood. Just do your job, and you'll be compensated accordingly. I'll contact you as soon as I receive word that they're ready for the delivery. Until then, I suggest you stay on your toes. Don't give Kenobi any opportunities to cause trouble."_

The transmitter's image projector flashed brightly, and then the image faded quickly as the signal dropped and the transmitter fell silent.

* * *

Flight deck officer La'haag watched the small cluster of ships on the tactical display in front of him as they approached the massive star destroyer quickly from her starboard side.

"Commander Ozzel," La'haag said, turning his slim, gaunt face from the display just as the ship's indicators flashed green as their identification transponders identified them, "The first patrols are returning and are requesting permission to dock for refueling."

"Permission granted," Commander Ozzel said, clasping his hands tightly behind his back as he approached the tactical station where La'haag sat. "Do they have anything to report?"

Commander Kendal Ozzel's steel-gray eyes looked out from beneath the brim of his cap, watching the group of small experimental fighters as they approached the Sepulcher; he had to admit, they looked impressive, as the golden light from the system's larger sun glinted brightly off of their swiftly moving hulls.

He had been skeptical, quite so indeed, when he had first seen the new fighters in the hanger of his ship when he had first arrived at his new command. Their odd, one-man configuration seemed unwieldy at best, with its oversized, angular wings on either side of its spherical cockpit, and he and several of his command crew had expressed skepticism about the craft's performance and capabilities.

They weren't the only ones; the pilots themselves had expressed their own misgivings about the new design. They had been designed for droid pilots, and little had been done to adapt them for humanoid use. Its lack of shields, they had been told, allowed the ship's energy systems to be directed completely toward the engine and weapon systems, a fact that not only increased its speed and lethality, but the willingness of the pilot to devote himself to his own piloting skills; failure, they had been told by Lord Vader himself, would simply result in one less incapable pilot in the Emperor's new Imperial Navy.

Commander Ozzel turned his attention from the _Sepulcher's_ command deck window back to his deck officer again, watching him as he pressed the transmit switch on his console. "You are clear to approach, Captain Daynar," La'haag said, looking up and watching as the small group of ships turned quickly and approached the massive star destroyer. "Docking bay seven. Do you have anything to report?"

"_Negative,_" they heard the group's captain reply, his voice hollow and tinny as it came back to them through the console's com station. "_Limited activity in this sector, only two large transports carrying a load of refugees. Both were cleared by the command shuttles after visual inspection_."

"Very good," Ozzel replied, nodding his head firmly as he looked back out and watched the ships swing around their starboard side, past the huge array of laser cannons that hung just outside the command deck's observation windows. "Have them refuel, and I want them back out on patrol as soon as possible," he said. "Have them rendezvous with Alpha wing as soon as they're ready to depart."

"Yes, sir," Corporal La'haag replied, turning his attention back to the station in front of him. "At once."

Ozzel turned, looking behind him as he suddenly heard his first officer call his name. "Commander Ozzel," the thin, dark-haired young officer called, snapping quickly to attention as he approached. "I have an urgent message for you, from Lord Vader himself," he replied, as he extended his hand, and the thin, square data pad in it, to his commanding officer.

Commander Ozzel looked at the data pad intently, as he entered his command key on the device's touchpad; his brow furrowed deeply, as he quickly scanned the message that appeared on its small display as both his first officer, and Corporal La'haag, looked on.

"When did these order arrive, Lieutenant?" Ozzel asked, turning his eyes toward his first officer again.

"Just a moment ago, sir," he replied, nodding toward the data pad in Ozzel's hands. "The orders came straight from the _Interceptor,_ via relay from Governor Tarkin's first officer."

"Did they give any reason for these orders, Needa?" Ozzel asked, making no strong effort to conceal his bewilderment and frustration as he cocked his head curiously. "I don't have the resources, or the ships, for this," he said. "Do they realize how many ships enter and leave this system routinely, especially with the slave trade in this quadrant?"

"No, sir," Lieutenant Needa replied, shaking his head slowly. "No explanations at all. They simply said we're to follow Lord Vader's instructions to the letter," he said, watching his commanding officer as he sighed, obviously frustrated, and looked back at the display in his hands. "Every ship entering or leaving this system is to be checked. No exceptions."

"Very well," Ozzel sighed, shaking his head he handed the data pad back to his first officer again. "Order up the reserve pilots, as many as we have. I want them at their ships and ready to depart in twenty minutes."

"Yes, sir," Lieutenant Needa replied, and Ozzel watched him for a long moment as he turned on his heels and made his way quickly out of the command deck.

"Divide the patrols into groups of three," Commander Ozzel said, turning round and looking at his flight deck officer again. "Assign one patrol group per sector, and have the inspection shuttles standing by. No ship is to leave or enter this system without our knowledge, no matter how small. Is that understood?"

"Understood clearly, sir," La'haag replied, nodding his own head firmly as he turned his attention back to the console in front of him.

Commander Ozzel walked up close to the huge observation window in front of him; he clasped his hands tightly behind his back again, as he stood up straight and took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly, as he watched the cluster of TIE fighters that had just arrived disappear into the hangar bay below him.

He didn't know what, or who, they were looking for; but he was determined that, if it was on this planet or trying to get to it, he would be the one to find it.

* * *

Tatooine's luminous, golden surface glowed brightly against the blackness of space, as the larger of its two suns bathed it surface in a never-ending blanket of light and heat. It turned slowly, as it had for eons, just as the fabric of space-time suddenly flashed brightly near the edge of its magnetosphere; the light of its yellow-giant sun glinted brightly off the surface of the sleek, silver vessel that suddenly appeared, as if from nowhere, as it turned hard and hurtled toward the planet's surface.

"Are you picking up anything on the proximity scanners?" Padmé asked, glancing over at Anakin and watching him as his sharp eyes scanned the display on the ship's main console beside him.

"No," Anakin replied, shaking his head as he studied the display carefully in the soft, blue-white glow of the cockpit lights. "Nothing local, anyway," he said, looking back at her with a sly grin. "Looks like nobody knows we're here," he said, leaning back in his chair and sighing deeply. "Just like we like it."

"Good," Padmé sighed, a look of relief spreading quickly across her face. "I wasn't too thrilled about us running into any kind of welcoming party," she said; she felt her muscles relax, finally, as she leaned back in her seat and turned the control yoke gently in her hands.

Anakin reached over to the console between them, as he felt the ship begin to shudder gently as Padmé brought them in parallel and started their descent toward Tatooine's upper atmosphere.

Padmé frowned as she felt the smooth, contoured control yoke begin to shudder in her hands. "There it is again," she said, glancing over and watching as Anakin tapped the control pad's input sensors with his nimble fingers. "What's causing that?"

She watched quietly as he studied the data that scrolled across the smoothly polished display for a moment. "I think the intermix actuator is acting up again," he replied, watching the two green and yellow bar graphs for the Destiny's starboard engine fluctuate wildly. "Looks like we're having some kind of power fall off, too," he said, as he looked back up at Padmé. "You might want to back down on the throttle a bit, and bring us back up to a stationary orbit," he said, as she nodded her head and pulled back slowly on the two large, curved throttle levers on the console beside her. "At least until Artoo can get the mixture straightened out."

"Artoo," Anakin called, glancing over his shoulder to the access console in the rear of the cockpit where the little droid sat, "See if you can figure out what's wrong with that plasma intermix actuator, okay?"

"And hurry up," Padmé said, glancing back at Anakin as she heard Artoo whistle his obedient reply, "before all this shaking wakes up Luke and Leia again."

"Oh, they're fine, don't worry," Anakin grinned back at her, shaking his head slowly. "They're out for the duration now, I think," he said, looking back over his shoulder at his two children as they lay, sleeping peacefully, on their bench behind them. "At least until we get to the homestead."

"Don't count on it, sweetheart," Padmé said, shaking her head. "Leia's a light sleeper, you know that. And if she wakes up, then Luke's not going to be far behind her."

The smile quickly faded from Padmé's face, and she frowned again as she suddenly felt the ship shudder once more, a good deal harder than it had a moment before. "Feels like that intermix problem's getting worse," she said, watching Anakin as he stood up and walked across the cockpit to where Artoo worked; she listened, glancing over her own shoulder toward them as she heard their little astrodroid let fly with a long, excited string of clicks and whistles.

"What's he so upset about?" she asked, watching as Anakin knelt quickly beside their little droid.

"He says we're losing coolant in the starboard engine's plasma chamber," Anakin replied, turning his eyes toward hers again. "He says we're going to need to shut down the engines so he can fix it."

"How long's it going to take?" Padmé asked, her nervous frown deepening as she reached over and pulled back on the engine throttle controls firmly; she looked up toward the cockpit's ceiling, a concerned, worried expression on her face as she listened to the ship's engines whine slowly down.

"I don't particularly like us hanging out here in space like this, with nothing but a pair of maneuvering thrusters to work with," she said, glancing back over her shoulder at Anakin again. "I feel like a sitting duck."

"Threepio," Anakin called, turning his head and watching as the tall, silver droid perked up attentively as he heard his voice.

"Yes, Master Ani?" Threepio said, watching Anakin as he stood up slowly beside Artoo's station.

"Keep an eye on the sensor array, and monitor the com channels for any unusual activity," he said, as he glanced over at Padmé's worried face again. "Let us know if you see anything suspicious, alright?"

"Of course, Master Ani," Threepio replied obediently, and Padmé watched him as he turned his full attention to the com station where he sat, tapping the controls with his metal fingers as he widened the forward sensor array's sweep.

"Don't worry," Anakin said, taking a step back and pressing himself against the bulkhead wall as Artoo turned, swiveling quickly on his wheels, and headed past him across the cockpit toward the door that led to the back of the ship. "He's going to have to go outside to fix it, but it shouldn't take him long," Anakin said, coming to stand behind the pilot's chair; he placed his hand reassuringly on Padmé's shoulder, as they both turned and watched their faithful little companion wheel quickly through the doorway and head toward the back of the ship to the maintenance access hatch and lift.

Padmé reached up with her right hand and took Anakin's in hers, as she tapped the controls with her left and brought the ship into a smooth, stable orbit. "Okay, the autopilot's on," she sighed, leaning back in her chair and squeezing Anakin's hand tightly as she turned her troubled face toward the cockpit window. "Is he finished yet?" she sighed, as she gently rubbed Anakin's fingers with her thumb.

"Patience, my young Jedi," Anakin laughed quietly, as he placed his other hand on her shoulder and grinned down at her.

"I miss our old ship," she said, finally, after a long, quiet pause, turning a troubled smile to her husband as she looked up over her shoulder at him. "It _never_ had engine problems," she said, shaking her head slowly as she watched him smile down at her. "Why'd you and Artoo have to go and blow it up, anyway?"

"Come on, now, relax," Anakin grinned, laughing quietly to himself as he massaged her tense shoulders gently. "You're focusing on the negative, which, I have to say, is pretty unusual for you," he said, watching her as she closed her eyes and smiled, nodding her head slowly as she listened to him. "Be mindful of your thoughts, remember?"

"Artoo'll have it fixed in no time," Anakin sighed, still holding her hand tightly in his as he walked over beside her and sat down in the copilot's chair again. "Just relax," he said, as he leaned back in the chair and smiled back at her. "Use the Force."

"Yes, Master," Padmé grinned, nodding her head obediently as she squeezed his hand tightly in hers. Her smile widened, and she glanced over her shoulder and followed his gaze, as he turned his attention to Luke and Leia again.

Anakin sighed contentedly, as he swiveled his chair a bit so that he could see them better. "You know, it doesn't seem like that long ago that I remember seeing someone else sleeping on a bench like that," he said, squeezing Padmé's hand tightly as he looked at the worn, multi-colored blanket that she had covered their two sleeping children with earlier.

She smiled, as she glanced down and looked at his hand in hers for a moment. "It sure doesn't," she sighed, looking back at him fondly as she laced her fingers tightly in his. "And it doesn't seem like it was six years ago, either."

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" she said, shaking her head as she squeezed his hand tightly, turning her own chair toward him. "So much time has passed, and things have changed so much since then, haven't they?"

"Yeah, they really have," Anakin sighed, as he leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply. "But I think they've all been good changes, don't you?" he said, nodding his head as his eyes searched hers for a long moment.

Padmé sighed along with him, deeply and contentedly, as she felt his strong, soothing tremor as he stretched out to her with his feelings. "Yes, they have, indeed," she said, gazing into his deep blue eyes as she felt the strong wave of love and devotion that swept over her as his heart touched hers. "And I wouldn't change a single thing," she said, squeezing Anakin's hand tightly as she looked back fondly at her two sleeping children; they both sat there, watching them quietly, for a long moment, until Anakin heard her sigh again.

"I just wish everything else could have turned out as well as things have for us," Padmé said, turning her troubled face back to Anakin's again. She watched him for a long moment, as he sat quietly, gazing thoughtfully out of the cockpit window in front of them.

"I know," Anakin sighed, nodding his head slowly as he watched Padmé turn her troubled, worried face back to the window again. He felt his own heart ache as he sensed the deep anguish that flared, for just a moment, inside his wife's heart as the image of the lovely, dark-haired young woman, the image he had seen so many times over the past few days, simultaneously appeared in his mind.

"You're thinking about Dormé again," Anakin said quietly, watching as she turned her deeply troubled eyes toward him again. "Aren't you?"

He squeezed her hand tightly, watching her quietly as her sorrowful eyes glistened brightly in the soft cabin light. "I know I shouldn't, especially right now," Padmé said softly, drawing her legs up underneath her as she leaned back and laid her head on the thickly padded pilot's chair and gazed out of the window in front of her. "But I can't help it."

"It's okay," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly as he swiveled the copilot's seat a bit to face her better. "Grieving is a natural part of the process, you taught me that," he said quietly, watching her as she turned her head and smiled weakly at him. "You want to talk about it?"

He'd tried, several times, since they'd received the terrible news last week, to get her to talk to him about what she was feeling; yet he knew, deep down, that the pain she was dealing with was as hard as that he'd faced the night he'd lost his mother, and he'd been careful not to push her. Some pain went too deep, left too deep a scar on a heart to be bridged too quickly, and, just like any other wound, it required time to start the healing process. He knew in his heart, though, that she would talk when she was ready – and he couldn't help but sense that, for some reason, she was ready to now.

"I know hate's wrong, Anakin," Padmé said softly, shifting in her chair toward him as she spoke; she pulled her legs under her again and, holding tightly to his hand, she laid her head gently on the thick, soft cushion of the pilot's chair as she gazed at him.

"I know it's wrong," she said, glancing down at their clasped hands as she spoke. "And I'm trying so hard not to give in," she said, turning her troubled eyes back to his again.

"But I _want _to hate him," she whispered, shaking her head slowly as she grit her teeth hard. "I want to hate him _so_ badly."

"He murdered twelve senators, and everyone close to them," Padmé said, her voice soft and sullen as she shook her head slowly, a look of deep pain on her usually bright, cheerful face. "People that I served with, for years, and he served with them, too."

Anakin could sense the anger that burned deep within her, even as she tried so hard to hide it, to keep it under control. "They were my friends, and Dormé was so much more," she said, the anguish she was feeling readily apparent in her trembling voice as she spoke. "He labeled them conspirators, and he had them executed, and they didn't even get a trial," she said, her voice trembling as her beautiful brown eyes glistened brightly from the tears that stood in them.

"I remember seeing him in the Senate with them, so many times," Padmé said, shaking her head in disbelief as she gazed deeply into Anakin's comforting, compassionate eyes. "He used to laugh with them, eat with them, he called them his friends," she said, the frustration in her voice growing more with each word. "What kind of heartless bastard can do something like that and still live with himself?"

Anakin didn't really know what to say. His heart reached out to hers, comforting her, without words, as it always did, just as she so often did for him; he stood up slowly from his chair, and he knelt beside her as she reached up and wiped her eyes with her free hand. She leaned back in the pilot's seat again, as Anakin reached up and placed his hand gently on her cheek, watching her silently as she sat, very quietly, for a long moment, looking out of the window in front of her at the brightly shining stars that moved silently past them, as they drifted in a smooth orbit above Tatooine's golden surface.

"Dormé wasn't even aware of the Alliance," she whispered quietly, as she squeezed Anakin's hand tightly in her own. "She died for something she wasn't even involved in, just for being a senator's aid," she said, turning her pain-filled eyes back to Anakin's again. "She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I know," Anakin said softly, nodding his head slowly as he gently wiped away the tear that stood on her cheek with his thumb. "Just like Mom was."

Anakin recognized the irony, the strange similarity of what Padmé was going through right now to what he had been through in his own life. Dormé had been far more than his wife's handmaiden; she had been a sister, a companion to her, since they had both served together in the Service Academy so many years ago. She had been with her, from her first moments as queen of Naboo, through her distinguished service as senator. She had been there at their wedding, and she had been the first, outside of their family, to hold Luke and Leia upon their return home two years ago.

He knew many things about the Force; indeed, his own knowledge and wisdom had grown over the past two years at a rate that surprised even Master Yoda. Yet now, as he watched his beloved wife wrestle with the same pain and anguish that he himself had faced long ago, he found himself struggling to understand this strange, haunting parallel in their lives.

"I know what you're going through right now, I really do," Anakin said, his brilliant blue eyes searching hers for a long moment as he reached out to her with his heart and feelings. "I remember it all too well, and I'm here for you, to help you," he said, nodding his head slowly as he gently caressed her cheek. "Just like you were there for me that night in that tent."

Padmé felt the dark tremor of hate and anger inside her begin to subside, just a bit, as she heard the silent words that Anakin's heart spoke to hers. "I know you are," she said with a nod, returning his worried smile as she reached up and slowly wiped her eyes once again. "It just hurts so much," she sighed, as she glanced down at their tightly clasped hands again. "I want so badly for him to pay for all the evil things he's done."

She looked at him and smiled, very weakly, as she heard his calm, soothing voice again. "I came to the Senate, with Obi-Wan, a long, long time ago," Anakin said, glancing over at her as he turned and sat down on the ship's deck beside her. "I can still remember it, just like it was yesterday," he said, looking up at her with a smile as she snuggled down in her chair and gazed quietly at him, listening intently.

"It was an amazing place," he sighed, shaking his head slowly as he recalled that distant memory. "I remember how incredible it was, to see all of those Senators gathered in that one place," he said, a look of boyish wonder on his face as he grinned up at her.

Padmé laughed quietly as she heard him continue. "I never understood how they figured out who was supposed to speak and when," he said, looking up at her with a wry grin as he squeezed her hand tightly. "And it seemed like, most of the time, they all talked and shouted over each other anyway," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, "so that you couldn't really hear who was supposed to be talking."

"That's because that's how it usually was," Padmé said, laughing softly as she grinned back at him. "Over time, you learned how to tune some of them out. It's called selective hearing."

"Well, I never was really good at that," Anakin chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "It all just sounded like a big argument to me, most of the time."

"But there was one Senator I remember," he said, gazing deeply into her beautiful brown eyes as she listened intently to him, "who got up to speak, and you could've heard a pin drop in that chamber the moment she opened her mouth."

"What did she say?" Padmé asked softly, looking back at him with a smile as she laced her fingers tighter in his.

"Well, I don't remember it all," Anakin said, leaning back on his free hand as he gazed up at the cockpit's ceiling thoughtfully as he spoke. "But I remember one thing she said, as clearly as if it were yesterday."

Padmé smiled again, as she watched him close one eye and begin to speak, slowly and thoughtfully. "Only on the shoulders of compassion, with justice to support and sustain us, can we overcome the tyranny of hatred and oppression in this Republic," he said, glancing back over at her smiling face as he spoke. "For hatred is a dark and dangerous road, fraught with pitfalls that lead only to misery and destruction, and at its end, a deep and empty cavern that swallows everything good and wholesome that it encounters."

Anakin smiled, as he heard her soft voice mingle with his; he stopped, listening almost as intently as he had that day, so many years ago, as her familiar, resolute voice began to fill the cockpit around him.

"For only the light of compassion can illuminate the path that we must follow," Padmé said, "and only from its strong shoulders can we see the way that leads through hatred's evil shadow to the road to justice, and to peace and prosperity for all the people that this Republic claims to serve."

"Wow," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly as he grinned back at her. "I've got chills again," he said, his smile widening as he watched her laugh softly at him. "Just like I did when I first heard you make that speech."

"I didn't know you were there that day," Padmé said, shaking her head in amazement as she gazed back at him fondly. "And I can't believe you remembered all of that."

"Some things are worth remembering," Anakin grinned, nodding his head slowly as he gazed into her deep brown eyes. "And of all the things I ever heard anyone say in that Senate Chamber that day," he said, shaking his head slowly, "those were the only words I remember."

"They're just words," Padmé sighed, gazing down at their clasped hands again; she looked back up into Anakin's eyes again, as he leaned closed to her and placed his hand gently below her chin.

"But good words, as pure and meaningful as any I ever heard," he said, nodding his head as he lifted her face up to his. "Maybe _you_ should listen to them."

Padmé felt the pain, the hurt, and the anger begin to ebb away, and she closed her eyes as Anakin leaned forward and kissed her tenderly for a long moment.

"You always know how to make me feel better," she whispered, gazing deeply into his deep blue eyes as their lips finally parted.

"Well, that's one the things I'm here for," Anakin replied with a grin, as he leaned forward and rested his forehead gently on hers. "And I always will be."

Anakin and Padmé both looked up, somewhat startled, as they suddenly heard Threepio's alarmed voice ring through the cockpit around them. "Oh my," he cried, waving his arms frantically as he turned quickly toward them from his place at the com station. "Master Ani! I think you should…"

"Threepio!" Padmé called, frowning unhappily as she lifted her finger to her lips and glanced over quickly to the bench where Luke and Leia slept, as she watched Anakin stand up quickly beside her. "Could you keep it down a bit, please?"

"I'm dreadfully sorry, Mistress Padmé," Threepio said apologetically, following her piercing glance to the bench where the children slept. "But I'm afraid that you and Master Ani need to take a look at this," he said, lowering his voice as he glanced back at the flashing indicator on his com station. "And rather quickly."

"What is it, Threepio?" Anakin said, leaning over the droid's shoulder and looking at the console in front of him as his metal companion turned back toward the com station again.

"I'm afraid we're being hailed, Master Ani," Threepio replied, turning his electronic eyes toward Anakin as he watched his master study the display with a rapidly growing frown.

"Hailed?" Padmé asked, as she bolted up from the pilot's seat and walked over quickly to join the two of them. "By who?"

"I'm not quite sure, Mistress Padmé," Threepio said, swiveling in his chair to face her as Anakin reached over his shoulder and tapped the controls on the com station's sensor display with his fingers. "But they're requesting that we identify ourselves immediately."

Padmé felt her heart stop in her chest, as she heard Anakin speak. "Imperial scouts," he said, turning a grim expression back to Padmé as she looked up at him. "Three fighters, and one ship I'm not familiar with," he said; Padmé watched as, with a quick fluid motion, he reached into the Force and, with a quick Force push, shoved Threepio's chair, with him in it, quickly out of his way.

"Are you sure?" Padmé asked, turning her attention quickly from her started droid and leaning close beside Anakin as they both looked at the tactical display in front of them.

"I'd bet my life on it," Anakin said, nodding firmly as he tapped the controls, locking and enlarging the tactical display on one of the small fighters. "I've seen these before," he said, looking back at Padmé and watching her as she studied the ship on the display in front of him.

"When?" Padmé asked, watching as Anakin reached over and engaged the comlink.

"When Obi-Wan and I fought our way onto the_ Invisible Hand_," he said, turning his grim face back to hers again.

Padmé's maternal instincts switched on instantly, as she felt the rush of adrenaline that surged through her body as she glanced over at Luke and Leia as Anakin pressed the comlink's transmitter on the com station.

"Artoo," Anakin said, watching the fighters that moved on his tactical display as he spoke. "We need you to fix that intermix unit, and we need it now," he said, gritting his teeth hard as he pressed the switch on the com station and transferred the strange vessel's incoming signal to the cockpit speakers; he, Padmé, and Threepio all listened intently, as the hollow, tinny voice filled the cockpit around them.

"_Repeat__… __unknown vessel, identify yourself immediately,"_ the voice said, crackling from the electromagnetic interference from Tatooine's troposphere. "_You are ordered to secure your ship in a stationary orbit and prepare to be boarded. Acknowledge._"

"Anakin," Padmé said, her voice trembling as she held tightly to his arm and turned a deeply worried face up to him. "What are we going to do?"

Padmé let go of his arm, and she watched him as he walked quickly across the cabin to the storage bin where they'd stowed their travel cases. "We're going to do just what they've told us to do," Anakin said, glancing back over his shoulder at her as he dropped to one knee and flung the bin's door open quickly.

"Here," he said, tossing the large duffel he'd packed onto the decking near her feet. "It's time for you and the kids to change, and fast," he said, standing up and taking his light sabers quickly from his weapon belt as he walked over to join her.

"Did you put those transfers on your arm, and the kids, like I asked you to?" Anakin asked, as he knelt quickly and unzipped the large bulky bag.

"Yes," Padmé said, nodding her head as she reached down and pulled up her sleeve; Anakin took her wrist in his hand, turning it gently, so that he could see the faint, gray pattern of lines and symbols that adorned the inside of her forearm. "But I still don't understand how this is going to work," she said, shaking her head slowly as she heard the terse, angry voice address them over the ship's speakers again. "Are you sure they're going to fall for this?"

"They should," Anakin sighed, taking the worn, sand-colored bundle of clothes from the duffel and handing them to her. "As long as the Hutts haven't changed anything in the last fifteen years."

"Let's get changed," Anakin said, tossing his weapons into the large duffel that rested in front of them. "Stow your weapon and clothes in this bag, quick, before they scan us. The power cells in our sabers will stand out like a sore thumb."

"Okay," Padmé said, her voice still trembling nervously as she quickly retrieved her weapon from her belt and placed it in the bag beside Anakin's. "Are you sure that shielding's thick enough?" she asked, as she looked at the silver-gray material that lined the inside of the oversized duffel bag.

"But Master Ani," Threepio said, looking up at Anakin as he started to quickly unfasten his weapon vest. "They're expecting an answer. What should I do about this…"

Padmé could feel her heart racing, as she reached down and quickly unfastened her own weapon belt. She watched Anakin intently, as he walked quickly to the pilot's station and powered down the maneuvering thrusters.

"So answer them," he said, looking back at Threepio and motioning toward the com station as he pulled his vest off and tossed it on the floor beside the large duffel bag on the floor in front of them. "And I'll tell you exactly what to tell them."

* * *

"I repeat," Captain Deynar said, turning his helmeted face down to his display as he locked his fighter's weapons on the sleek silver vessel and swung toward it again, his two wingmen flanking his port and starboard sides as he arced back toward the mysterious ship. "Identify yourself immediately."

He released the com switch on his control yoke, listening intently through the haze of static as he suddenly heard the com channel crackle to life. _"Uhm, yes, hello,"_ he heard a strangely hollow, electronic voice reply. "_Hailing vessel, please come in. This is the Alexandretta."_

"Alexandretta, you are to bring yourself into a stationary orbit and power down your engines," Captain Deynar replied, as he engaged the comlink switch on his control yoke again. "What is your cargo and destination?"

"_My master asks me to inform you that we are enroute to Tatooine, on a purely commercial venture, and we're currently experiencing engine trouble_," the hollow electronic voice replied. "_As for our cargo, besides our captain, only passengers and two droids."_

"Shuttle Azzmar, can you confirm?" Captain Deynar said, watching his tactical display intently as he awaited the escort shuttle's scan results as he banked his fighter and circled the small silver cruiser slowly, watching as the sun's rays glinted brightly off its hull.

"Affirmative, Captain," the shuttle's commander replied. "Our scans confirm the engine imbalance, and we're detected four humanoid forms and two droids onboard," he said. "One is currently outside, apparently affecting repairs."

"Very well," Daynar replied. "Board them and do a visual inspection anyway," he said. "Report back to me if you find anything out of the ordinary."

"Alexandretta," Daynar heard the shuttle call, as he watched the large winged Imperial shuttle bank hard toward the small silver ship. "Prepare your docking ring and disengage your shields and weapons systems. Prepare to be boarded."

"_Understood,_" he heard the hollow, electronic voice reply obediently. "_Our systems are offline and you are free to board at your convenience."_

* * *

"Good job, Threepio," Anakin said, patting his tall companion soundly on the shoulder as he watched the com channel fall silent.

"Are you absolutely certain that this is going to work, Master Ani?" Threepio asked, shuffling around and watching his master as he glanced over to the bench where Padmé sat, pulling the small, tan tunic over Leia's head.

Threepio followed his master's troubled gaze to Padmé, and the both of them watched silently for a moment as she whispered quietly to her sleepy, whining daughter as she dressed her as quickly as she could.

"I hope so, Threepio," Anakin said, turning his worried face back to his droid again. "Go back to the cargo hold and wait for them to signal, and then open the docking hatch and let them board," he said. "Don't give them any trouble, and bring them up here as soon as they've boarded, okay?"

"As soon as they're here, I want you to go back to the cargo hold and stand by the main control panel in the back," Anakin said, gesturing toward the back of the ship as Threepio listened with rapt attention. "Keep your ears open and stand by to signal Artoo to cut the ship's power, including the emergency lights, if I signal you. But only on my signal. Understand?"

"Yes, Master Ani," Threepio replied, turning on his heels and shuffling as quickly as he could down the narrow corridor that led to the cargo hold. "Oh, my," he said, his electronic voice laced with trepidation as he disappeared down the long corridor. "I do hope it doesn't come to that."

Anakin turned his attention to Padmé again; he could sense her nervousness, and her growing frustration, as she struggled to pull Leia's small, wiggling arms through the sleeves of the small tunic. He should his head slowly, as her aggravated, anxious cries echoed through the small cockpit as he walked over and knelt down by Padmé's side.

"Hey, hey," Anakin said, looking at his daughter with a smile as she turned her tear-stained, crying face toward him; he took her small hands in his and held them tightly, as her mother finally managed to pull her wiggling arms through the sleeves.

"Whatsa matter, sweetheart?" he asked, reaching up and brushing his hand through her fine, dark hair as her mother tugged the small tunic down over her stomach.

"She can sense something's wrong," Padmé said, her troubled eyes gazing deeply into Anakin's as he looked up at her and nodded his head in agreement. "They can both tell," she said, looking back at Luke as he slept beside her. "I can feel it."

"I know," Anakin whispered softly, as he looked at Leia's troubled, unhappy face. "I can too."

"She's scared," Padmé said, her own voice trembling as she watched Anakin scoop Leia up into his arms. "Just like her mother."

She had imagined how she would react at this moment many times over the past two years; yet the fear that permeated her soul now was something she hadn't expected. She knew, in her heart, that it wasn't a fear for her own safety, but rather one for her children that very nearly overwhelmed her now. She looked over at Luke for a moment, as he lay, still sleeping, on the bench beside her, and she reached over and took his small hand in hers. She felt cornered, trapped, and like any mother, she wanted to lash out, in any way that she could, to protect her two precious children.

Padmé looked back at Anakin, as she heard him speak, very softly; she felt her own fear and trepidation subside a bit, as she watched him close his eyes and hug his daughter tightly.

"Shhhhh," he shushed, very softly, as he rubbed her small back and bounced her gently in his arms. "Everything's going to be just fine, sweetheart," he said softly, opening his eyes and looking back at Padmé with a smile. "You'll see."

Padmé smiled again, as she realized that he was talking to her, just as much as he was to Leia; she reached up and took his hand tightly in hers, as Leia's anxious, sleepy sobs began to subside as she laid her small head on her father's shoulder, clinging to him tightly.

"Do you think they'll fall for it?" Padmé sighed, quickly surveying the thick, well-worn sand colored dress she was wearing.

"We'll find out in a few minutes," Anakin sighed, smiling at her reassuringly as he glanced over at Leia again. "Just remember, stay calm," he said, watching her as she took a deep breath and nodded her head, very slowly. "Remember your training. Use the Force."

"If everything goes well," he said, leaning down and slipping Leia gently into her mother's arms again, "This will all be over in a few minutes, and we can get out of here."

"And if it doesn't go well?" Padmé asked, her eyes searching his as she squeezed his hand and hugged her daughter tightly against her chest.

"Then, when Threepio cuts the power," he sighed, glancing down at the bin where he had concealed the duffel, with their weapons in it, a moment before, "they're going to have one hell of a fight on their hands."

* * *

"Oh, my," Threepio cried, as the docking hatch suddenly swung open, quite swiftly, and he found himself staring at the barrel of a large blaster rifle as the white-clad trooper leveled it at him. "Don't shoot," he said, raising his metal arms and taking a step back as the trooper, and two more, filed quickly into the small cargo hold of their ship. "I surrender."

"At ease," the gray-clad Imperial officer said, stepping through the docking hatch as he eyed Threepio carefully. "It's only a protocol droid," he said, glancing quickly around the neat, sparse cargo hold.

"Welcome aboard," Threepio said, bowing politely as the officer turned his narrow eyes back to him again. "I am See-Threepio, human cyborg relations," he said, turning and gesturing toward the cockpit. "If you and your companions will follow me," he said politely, as he gestured toward the cockpit, "I'll be happy to show you to my master. He's currently waiting in the forward part of the ship."

Lieutenant Krantz watched the tall, silver droid as he shuffled quickly down the narrow corridor that led to the ship's forward section. "Search the cargo hold," he said, matter-of-factly, to the trooper nearest him. "You two, with me," he said, nodding toward the cockpit. "Let's see what we have here."

* * *

"Welcome aboard," Anakin said, swiveling in the pilot's chair toward the cockpit door as he propped his boots up on the console in front of him as Lieutenant Krantz entered, his two troopers following closely behind him. "Can I offer you gents a drink?" he said, raising the small metal flask in his hand as he smiled, quite widely, at them.

"I think not," Krantz replied, eyeing the shaggy-haired young man warily as he stood up slowly from the pilot's chair.

"Blasted shame, that is," Anakin replied, as he paused and took a long, thirsty swig from the flask in his hand. "Damn good stuff, this Ordejan brandy," he said, licking his lips as he swallowed and placed the cap back on the flask, tightening it securely as he grinned back at them.

"And you are?" Krantz said, looking at Anakin curiously as he tucked the flask back into the back pocket of his pants.

"Captain Elan Hunter," Anakin replied, extending his hand as he smiled pleasantly at the Imperial officer in front of him. "At your service, sir."

"So, Captain Hunter," Lieutenant Krantz said, ignoring Anakin's outstretched hand and turning his attention to the young woman who sat quietly on the long bench beside him, "What business brings you to Tatooine?" he said, eyeing the lovely young woman intently as she gazed up at him in wary silence as she gently rocked the small, whimpering girl in her arms.

"Same as usual," Anakin replied, struggling to keep himself calm as he watched the young Imperial officer eye Padmé, and his children, suspiciously. "I picked up the little mother on one of the outlying systems near Bogdon," he said, watching as Krantz lifted Padmé's arm, somewhat roughly, and examined the brand on her forearm.

"So you're a slave trader, then," Lieutenant Krantz replied, somewhat coldly, as he watched Padmé snatch her arm away from him.

"More of a transporter, than a trader," Anakin said, eyeing the two troopers warily as they walked slowly around the cockpit. "I'm delivering her to the Hutts," he said, extending his hand and watching as the tall, gaunt Imperial officer took the small data pad from him.

"She and the little ones are a gift, for one of Gardola's business associates," he said, watching Padmé as she glared up at him, quite convincingly, as the lieutenant looked on.

"She's bought and paid for, all legal," Anakin said, watching as Krantz examined the transfer documents he'd loaded in the data pad earlier very closely. "All the necessary documents are there."

"I see that," Krantz said, nodding his head slowly. "Interesting," he said, lifting his eyebrow and turning a wary expression to Anakin as he handed the data pad back to him. "Very interesting, indeed."

Anakin felt a twinge in the pit of his stomach, as he watched the tall, thin Imperial officer turn to face him straight on. "I see quite a few smugglers and slave traders pass through this system on a daily basis, captain," he said, glancing over at Padmé and the children again. "You're the first one I've seen with all of the proper documentation," he said, looking back at Anakin thoughtfully, as he clasped his hands tightly behind his back. "Or who even cared to admit that he had it."

Anakin swallowed hard, as he suddenly realized that he might have planned things a little _too_ perfectly; his attention to detail was usually a good thing, but he had forgotten, as the years had passed, that slave traders and smugglers usually didn't keep good records; after all, they didn't want to be found, or for anyone to be able to track their shipments – especially slaves.

Anakin and Padmé both exchanged a nervous glance, as they heard Krantz address the trooper next to him. "Search this vessel, from bow to stern," the lieutenant said, glancing back at Anakin warily again. "I want a full system scan. Notify me of anything you find that appears out of the ordinary," he said, watching as the trooper lowered his weapon and dropped the pack he was carrying onto the bench beside Padmé.

"And keep the good captain and his 'cargo' here in the cockpit until our scan is complete," he said, looking back at Anakin warily, watching the young Jedi as he tucked his hands deep into his pockets. "I want him and the young lady handy if we have more questions for them."

Padmé watched, her heart pounding in her chest as she clutched Leia's sleeping body to her own, as the trooper quickly unzipped the large, black bag and pulled out a large, multi-phase scanning device; she glanced back up at Anakin, her eyes searching his, as her heart cried out silently to him through the Force.

Their silent messages to one another were usually quiet, intimate ones, expressions of love and devotion, shared in a moment of passion or solitude, when words seemed useless; yet now, Anakin found another reason to be thankful for them, and for just how powerfully strong the bond between them had grown, as he suddenly heard Padmé's silent message, as clearly as if she had spoken it to him aloud.

_That's a multi-phase scanner. Oh, God, Anakin, they'll find our sabers._

Anakin knew she was right; he felt his own blood run cold, as his and Padmé's eyes locked again, as they heard Krantz' next command echo through the cabin around them. "I want genetic samples from the young woman, and her children," he said, watching Padmé as she snapped her head around and looked at him in stunned disbelief.

"And run a scan of the ship's memory systems, and on the droids," he said, gesturing toward the _Destiny II's_ cargo hold where Threepio had gone a moment earlier. "I want to know everything that's going on here," Krantz said, shaking his head slowly as he looked over at Padmé and the children again, watching her as she clutched Leia's sleeping body to her chest. "Something here doesn't feel right."

* * *

_I'm not sure I can do this, Anakin. I've never tried it through this much metal before._

Padmé's heart continued to pound wildly in her chest as she answered him silently through the Force, and glanced over at the single trooper that remained in the cockpit with them; she rocked Leia gently in her arms, as she turned her eyes back to Anakin, watching him as he sat in the copilot's chair, his elbows resting on his knees as he looked back at her.

_You can do it, Padm__é__. I know you can. You're much better at this than I am. Just try,_ he willed back to her, his heart speaking to hers more clearly than ever before as he leaned back in his chair and watched her as she took a long, deep breath, and then slowly closed her eyes.

_How many are there?_

Padmé reached down into the Force, as deeply as she could, as she focused all of her energy and abilities on the living Force around them.

Every Jedi inherited a special skill, Anakin had taught her, when she had first begun her training. There was no real rhyme or reason to it, he had told her; it fell to the wisdom of the Force itself to decide what gifts were given, and to whom. Some, like Yoda, had received the gift of foresight, the ability to see events far into the future, events that might, or would, or might never, come to pass. Others found other gifts, such as his skills with technology, or the ability to heal others. There were many gifts, he had told her, and only with time and training could a Jedi come to know what special abilities the Force had chosen to grant them.

Padmé's gift had revealed itself not long after that moment in Dooku's hangar, when the mysterious bond between her and her new husband had first manifested itself. It had frightened her, at first, when she had first sensed the pain that flowed through her nephew's body when he had fallen and broken his arm by the river that afternoon; yet she had come, with time, to become accustomed to the strange sensations that began to reveal themselves to her, whenever she was around others.

The gift of empathy was a powerful gift indeed, and a rare one, Yoda had told her, when it had manifested itself in her life strongly enough that he could sense it. Padmé's was rarer still, in that an empath could usually only sense disturbances in an individual's life force; pain, anguish, and other strong emotions created strong ripples in the Force, allowing a Jedi with the gift to sense their presence far quicker, and much farther away, than one without it. Padmé, however, had discovered that strong emotions weren't required for her to sense an individual's presence; she could feel the tiniest ripples, and it had proven to be a gift that had given her great comfort, one that had allowed her to stay in perfect contact with her two children, and her beloved Anakin.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, as she probed the living Force around her; she immediately sensed Anakin, and her children, as she knew she would. She had become so attuned to their soothing, comforting tremors, that it had presented a challenge to her, as her training had progressed, to suppress their strong presence, so that she could sense others around her. It went against her heart, and her instincts, to try to suppress their tremors, yet, as she did so, she began to sense the others around them, as she immersed herself deeply into the Force that flowed through her.

_There are four here,_ she willed back to Anakin, as she stretched out with her feelings; she could see them, feel each of them, sense the ripples in the Force around her as the energy she directed out from her reflected off of them. _The officer and two troopers are in the cargo hold._

Anakin blinked his own eyes, very slowly, as he tuned his senses tightly to Padmé's life force. The waves of Force energy that issued forth from her were overwhelming, and he closed his own eyes for a moment, taking a slow, deep breath, as he heard her reply travel back to his heart from hers, and then, as clearly as he could, he willed another question back to her.

_What about the shuttle?_

Padmé squeezed her eye shut tightly again; she held Leia close to her, yet she stopped rocking her for a long moment, and Anakin watched her sit, perfectly still and motionless, on the bench across from him for what seemed like an eternity.

_One. There's one left on the shuttle._

Anakin took a deep breath, almost in perfect concert with Padmé, as he watched her slowly open her eyes and look back at him. He looked back toward the cockpit window, his mind racing wildly as he watched Tatooine's dusty orange surface turn, slowly and lethargically, below them.

Padmé looked down at Leia again, as she felt her wiggle, and then cry softly in her arms. _"Nepa, haku se dimee', Mase'ta?_" she said softly, in fluent Dugg, glancing over at Anakin as he snapped his head around toward her again as she whispered softly in her daughter's ear.

_So what's the plan, Master?_

Anakin watched her quietly, as she continued to rock Leia gently in her arms. He looked up at the trooper that stood quietly a short distance from them; he smiled back at her, watching her as she kissed Leia gently on the cheek as she glanced back at him, curiously.

Anakin glanced back out of the cockpit window again, watching as the three small TIE fighters cruised lazily past their ship again, silhouetted against the orange-gold planet below. It was only a matter of time, he thought to himself, looking back over at the large storage bin beside Padmé, before the trooper's scanner picked up the massive signature from the powercells in their light sabers. Whatever they were going to do, there were going to have to do it quickly, and as quietly as possible.

He glanced down again at the ship's console in front of him, and he sat quietly for a long moment, as he looked at the tactical readout that flashed slowly on the larger of the two displays. The shuttle was at least half again as large are their own ship, and heavily armored. They would be no match, indeed, if they tried to break free and run; their shields were far too weak to withstand the punishment of an attack from four ships at once, and their engines would never outrun something the size of the shuttle that now held them captive.

Padmé felt her breath catch in her throat, as she suddenly heard Anakin speak again. _"Jee-jee da bollada manda eh shayla_," he said, turning his steel-hard, blue eyes toward hers again.

They both looked up, quite suddenly, as they heard the trooper that stood guard near them address them. "Hey," he said, quite firmly, his hollow tinny voice filling the cockpit around them. "No talking, in any language. Keep your mouths shut unless we tell you to do otherwise. Understand?"

Padmé watched Anakin as he smiled at the tall, white-clad trooper and saluted him, quite irreverently. "Yes, sir," he sighed, as he swiveled his chair around slowly to face Padmé again.

_Oh, dammit_, Padmé thought to herself, as she closed her eyes and took a long, trembling breath._ He can't be serious._

Her breath caught in her throat again, as she suddenly heard his heart speak to hers once again; she sat quietly for a long moment, her heart racing, as she listened to that silent voice, and sensed what it was he was trying to tell her.

Anakin watched her, in complete silence, as she opened her eyes and looked down at the large storage bin beside her for a long, quiet moment. She looked up, and, as her eyes met his, he watched her nod her head slowly, as she clutched Leia's small body close to hers.

Padmé took another long, trembling breath, as she reached into the Force and tried to calm herself. All of her training, everything that he had taught her, was about to be tested, in a way that she had never anticipated, and far sooner than she had ever dreamed.

Yet, below the fear and trepidation that dogged her, a tiny flame of determination grew; these were her children, she thought to herself, as she turned and watched the trooper walk slowly into the cabin, his commanding officer trailing close behind him, as the scanner in his hands beeped loudly.

Anakin watched her intently, as she sat quietly on the bench, clutching Leia close to her; he could see the look of fear begin to fade from her face, replaced quickly by a look of determination, that same, unyielding conviction that he had come to love, and had grown so accustomed to.

They both exchanged one last, long look, as they suddenly heard the scanner in the trooper's hands begin to whistle, loud and steadily. "I've got something, sir," the trooper said, turning to his commanding officer as he pointed toward the storage bin next to Padmé. "Strong power emanations, coming from that bin," he said, as he dialed the scanner in quickly with his gloved hand. "They fall within the range we're looking for."

"Well, Captain Hunter," Lieutenant Krantz said, turning and looking at Anakin with a knowing smirk, watching as his remaining two troopers leveled their weapons at him. "It seems we've found something rather curious on your ship, after all."

"Open that bin," he snapped, gesturing toward the storage compartment next to him as he watched Anakin stand up, quite slowly, and walk over toward the bench where Padmé sat. "And let's see what you're hiding in there."

Anakin looked over at Padmé again, as he stopped and stood quietly for a moment next to her; she watched him, as he knelt slowly beside her, as he slipped his hand down and, quickly and effortlessly, switch on the comlink at his waist.

This is it, she thought to herself, as she watched him open the bin's door wide, very slowly, and then begin to pull the large, dark duffel bag out; she reached over and, very gently, took hold of the back of Luke's tunic, squeezing it tightly in her hand, as she watched Anakin take several steps back, leaving a wide, clear path between her and the oversized bin.

"Open that bag," Lieutenant Krantz snapped, watching Anakin as he paused and glared up at him. "Very slowly," he said, watching Anakin as he glanced at the trooper closest to him. It'd be a shame for this trooper to have to shoot you, right in front of these children."

"No, we can't have that, now can we?" Anakin growled, as he began to unzip the long, heavy duffel slowly. He glanced back up at Padmé, just for an instant, as he pulled the zipper to its end, and then pulled the bag open wide and stood up slowly.

"See?" Anakin said with a grin, shrugging his shoulders innocently as he watched the trooper closest to him kneel quickly and begin to rummage through the pile of clothes inside.

Padmé watched him, as he slipped his hand down and pressed the transmitter switch on the comlink at his waist. "Just clothes," he said, as the bright red indicator began to flash quickly. "Nothing else."

Padmé held her breath, as she watched the trooper suddenly pull her lightsaber from beneath the pile of clothes. "Look sir," he said, holding the weapon up so that his commanding officer could see it clearly. "Lightsaber," he said, glancing back down into the bag, as he caught sight of Anakin's weapons. "Three of them."

"You're under arrest, captain," Lieutenant Krantz snapped, snatching Padmé's saber from the trooper's hand and taking a step back, drawing his own blaster as the three troopers brought their weapons to their shoulders. "You and your ship are impounded and…"

Padmé barely caught a glimpse of Anakin's flashing blue eyes, as he extended his hand toward the bag in front of him as the ship's lights suddenly went out; she closed her own eyes, reaching as deeply into the Force as she could as, with one smooth motion, she yanked Luke's tiny, sleeping body off the bench beside her and into her arms, and then, relying only on the Force to guide her, dropped to her knees and swung both of her children through the pitch black darkness, toward the open storage bin beside her.

Luke's startled cry mingled with his sister's – and the trooper closest to Anakin – as she felt both of her children slide gently but swiftly from her arms and into the large bin. She slammed the large, square door shut and, guided only by what she could sense in the darkness around her, she spun quickly and stretched out her hand toward her weapon.

Krantz was caught completely off guard; he lurched forward, grasping wildly, as he suddenly felt the slender weapon leap from his hand into the pitch-black darkness that enveloped him. "Jedi!" he shouted, groping wildly in the darkness for the comlink at his belt. "Shoot him, quickly!"

Lieutenant Krantz recoiled, instinctively, as the brilliant red flash from the trooper's blaster to his right suddenly illuminated the cockpit; he turned, catching only a glimpse of movement in the sudden flash of light and sparks, as the weapon's blast struck the cockpit's ceiling above him. He felt his own heart begin to race, as he caught only a brief, fleeting glance, and heard the sickening crunch beside him, as the young, blond-haired man drove the hilt of the lightsaber in his hand into the trooper's throat with incredible force, as he snatched the blaster from his hand with lightning speed and flung it across the cockpit.

The cockpit was dark again, as the weapon's blast faded as quickly as it had appeared; Krantz felt his breath begin to come in short, panicked gasps, as he fumbled blindly in the dark for his comlink, the shouts of the remaining two troopers filling the cockpit around him as they heard their companion drop to the decking with a heavy thud. "Where is he!" the lieutenant shouted as he spun wildly, still groping for the comlink at his belt as he swung his blaster in a wide, blind circle.

His fingers found it, only for a brief second, and he dropped to his knees, his panic growing, as he heard the precious comlink drop to the deck as he knocked it from his belt. He groped wildly in the dark for what seemed like an eternity, searching desperately for his comlink; he froze, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, as he suddenly heard another sickening crunch, and the terrified, muffled scream that followed it.

He leapt to his feet, instinctively, blinked his eyes and recoiling as he felt panic begin to overtake him as he suddenly heard the chilling sound of the lightsaber that powered up behind him. He spun on his heels, his eyes searching frantically as the weapon's hum filled his ears, as the strange, cobalt-blue light filled the cockpit around them in like fashion; he froze in his tracks, in stunned disbelief, as he finally focused his eyes on the brilliant blue blade, and the Jedi who held it.

It was a strange, peculiar sensation, indeed; Krantz opened his mouth to cry out in terror, yet he failed to utter a sound. He looked down, in shock and terror, his weapon clattering to the deck beside him, as the searing, incredible heat of the dark blue blade in the young Jedi's hands surged through his body, as Padmé spun with lighting speed and drove her blade cleanly through his chest.

The light of her blade bathed the cockpit in a dark blue glow, as she withdrew it from the unfortunate officer's chest, watching him for an instant as he slumped to the deck at her feet. She looked up, her breath coming fast and heavy, just in time to see Anakin's brilliant white blade blaze to life, and she watched as, with a swift, clean motion, he swung it around and through the remaining trooper's body, sending it clattering to the deck at his feet.

* * *

"Lieutenant Krantz, please come in," the shuttle's pilot called, as he pressed the com switch at the pilot's station. "I thought I heard something," he said, glancing down at the console in front of him. "Is everything all right down there?"

He watched the com station's display, as the sound of empty static filled the cabin around him for a long moment. "Lieutenant Krantz, this is Janden," he called again, as he pressed the switch and transmitted again. "Please acknowledge."

He sighed, somewhat relieved, as he suddenly saw his commander's comlink flash to life on the station in front of him. _"Everything's fine here, Janden,"_ he heard a voice call back to him. _"Captain Hunter seemed to have a problem surrendering peacefully, but we've convinced him otherwise."_

Corporal Janden smiled, laughing quietly to himself, as he envisioned the merciless beating, or worse, the unfortunate captain would have received at the hands of the lieutenant's seasoned troopers. _"He's powered off the engine systems, Janden,"_ he heard his commanding officer continue. _"We'll need your help to get them started again. I'm sending one of the troopers up to relieve you."_

"Understood, sir," Janden replied, as he stood up quickly from the shuttle's pilot's seat. "I'll be down in just a moment."

Janden drew his blaster from the holster at his hip, and he started quickly to the cargo hold behind him; he'd been looking forward to some action, he thought to himself with a smile, as he made his way back to the jeffries tube that lead to the docking ring below. Maybe, he thought to himself as he started down the ladder to the deck below, just maybe, he was about to find some.

* * *

"Well, that was quick and easy enough," Padmé said, her breath still coming short and heavy as she switched on the Destiny's power systems again; she looked down, watching as young Janden groaned one last time, and then fell silent on the deck near Anakin's feet.

"It's about time something went right," he said, shaking his long blonde mane as he pulled the stormtrooper's helmet from his head and tossed it onto the deck beside the unfortunate young pilot's unconscious body. "Are you all right?" he asked, walking quickly across the cargo hold to join her.

"I'm fine," she said, nodding her head firmly as she looked up at him, still holding her light saber tightly in her hand. "We need to get out of here," she said, glancing over and watching as Artoo and Threepio came to join them. "It's not going to take them long to figure out that something's wrong."

"You two get aboard the shuttle, as fast as you can," Anakin said, turning his attention to their droids again. "Artoo, see if you can figure out how to disengage the docking ring, but don't do it until we're onboard with you, understand?"

"Artoo says he understands perfectly, Master Ani," Threepio called, shuffling along quickly behind his little companion as they made their way to the docking port, with Artoo's whistles echoing loudly around them.

"Let's get the kids," Anakin said, turning his attention back to Padmé as he tossed the blaster rifle in his hand onto the deck beside Janden's unconscious body. "I'll get our stuff. We've got to hurry," he said, as they both turned and started back toward the cockpit. "We don't have a lot of time."

"I know they're scared to death," Padmé said, making no effort to hide the worry in her voice as she bolted toward the cockpit, with Anakin close behind her. She rounded the corner and, taking hold of the bulkhead near the cockpit's access door, she swung herself through the door and into the small, smoke-filled cockpit.

She glanced over toward the duffel bag that rested on the deck as she tossed her weapon into it, and then turned her full attention to the storage bin beside the long, padded bench as she dropped to her knees and slid to a stop in front of it.

Anakin dropped to his knees beside her, his own heart pounding in his chest, as he heard his children's muffled, frightened cries; he watched Padmé, as she grabbed hold of the large, square access door and flung it open as quickly as she could, and then crawled inside as her children's frightened sobs began to fill the cockpit around them.

"It's okay," she said, her own voice cracking as she pulled her two frightened children into her arms, hugging them tightly as they flung their small arms around her neck. "Everything's okay now," she said, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as she felt tears begin to sting them. "Mommy's so sorry," she whispered, as she started to pull them out of the dark, empty bin.

Anakin glanced back over his shoulder; he placed his hand on Padmé's back, stopping her as she started to crawl back out of the bin. "Hold on a second," Anakin said, reaching up and grabbing their blanket from the bench as he caught site of the bodies that lay strewn through the cockpit. "I don't think they need to see any of this," he said, holding the blanket up behind her as she looked up at him and nodded her head.

Padmé stood up, turning around quickly as Anakin held the blanket up in front of her, shielding Luke and Leia from the carnage that lay behind him; she tucked it close around her two crying children, as Anakin placed it over their heads and around her shoulders.

Anakin felt his own heart aching, as he watched Padmé kiss them both gently, over and over again. "Come on," he said softly, watching her as she turned her tear-filled eyes up to him again as he nudged her toward the cockpit door. "Get them onboard the shuttle," he said, watching her as she nodded her head and started toward the door. "Tell Artoo to make sure those engines are powered up. I'll get our stuff, and I'll be right behind you."

"Hurry," Padmé said, her voice still trembling as she turned and bolted toward the back of the ship.

As quickly as he could, Anakin snatched the duffle with their weapons and uniforms from the deck and flung it over his shoulder; he opened the remaining storage bin and, retrieving the last of their belongings, he stood up and looked around the cockpit of their ship for a long moment.

"Dammit," he sighed, shaking his head slowly, as he surveyed the smoke-filled cockpit, and the carnage that lay within it. He stood silently for another moment and then, turning quickly, he bolted down the corridor toward the cargo hold, and their one, thin chance that remained beyond it.

* * *

"Do you know how to fly this thing?" Padmé asked, watching Anakin from the rear seat of the strange ship, as she rocked Luke and Leia gently in her arms.

"I have no idea yet," Anakin sighed, quickly surveying the strange, expansive cockpit in front of him as he flopped into the pilot's seat. "I've never stolen an Imperial shuttle before," he said, looking over his shoulder at her with a sarcastic smirk as he watched Threepio take a seat beside her.

"Anakin, this is never going to work," Padmé said, shaking her head as she looked out the shuttle's cockpit window, watching as the three fighters continued to circle around them. "We're going to have thirty seconds, at best, before they figure out what's going on and radio for help," she said, looking back at him anxiously.

"Those fighters have no shields," Anakin said, turning and looking over his shoulder at Padmé, watching her as she listened intently to him. "We don't have to outrun them for long," he said. "Just long enough to make it into the planet's atmosphere."

"If we can do that, and with a little more luck," he sighed, grinning weakly at her, "we can ditch this thing someplace before they can call in reinforcements to find us."

"How are the kids?" he asked, turning his attention back to the massive array of controls and displays in front of him, scanning them quickly as he tried to make some sort of sense of them all.

"They're scared to death," Padmé said softly, closing her eyes and kissing them both gently on the cheek; she could sense their fear, more plainly than ever, as they clung to her tightly, still whimpering quietly.

Anakin paused, glancing back over his shoulder at her and watching, for a long moment, as she held them close to her. "Shhhh," she whispered, as she squeezed her eyes shut and rocked them slowly in her arms. "Everything's okay," she said, opening her eyes and smiling weakly back at Anakin as she sensed the wave of concern that flowed from him.

"We'll be fine," she whispered, nodding her head slowly as she saw his worried, concerned face gazing back at her. "Daddy's here with us," she said, turning her attention back to her children again. "Everything's going to be just fine."

"You're damn right it's going to be," Anakin said, his voice laced with grim determination as he turned his eyes back to the controls in front of him again. "Power up the engines, Artoo, and bring the weapons and shields online, full power," he said, looking over at his little droid as he sat at the terminal across from him.

Threepio listened with rapt attention, as he suddenly heard Anakin address him. "Padmé's got her hands full, Threepio," he said. "Help her get strapped in, as fast as you can, and then strap yourself in, too," he said, looking over his shoulder and watching as Threepio reached over and took hold of the straps that dangled near Padmé's seat. "This might be a bumpy ride."

"Detach the docking clamps and fire the Destiny's engines in as soon as that group of fighters swings by for another pass," he said, watching Artoo as he spun the control wheels at the station's access port with lightning speed. Padmé glanced back over at her husband, as she helped Threepio fastened the thick, wide strap across her hips; she held her two precious children as tightly as she could, as she watched Anakin reach over and switch off the shuttle's inertial dampers.

"Everybody brace yourselves," he sighed, looking out of the shuttle's forward window as he saw the small, sleek fighters begin to bank toward them, Tatooine's sun glinting brightly off their hulls. "The ship's going to roll pretty hard when the docking ring breaks free and those engines fire."

"Hang on," Padmé whispered softly, closing her eyes tightly as she reached into the Force and held on to Luke and Leia as tightly as she could. "I've got you."

Anakin placed his hand on the shuttle's throttle controls, squeezing them tightly in his hand, as he watched the last few seconds tick away on the display in front of him.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5: Let The Trial Begin, Part 2**_

_**Author's Note: **Hi guys! Just wanted to take a moment to let you know that the series is now available for download for free on the iTunes Book store for your Mac or iPad! Search for Star Wars Altered Universe and you'll find it. Hope you enjoy tonight's chapter! - Scott_

Captain Daynar felt the concussion wave strike the port side solar panels of his fighter, just as he swung past the shuttle, and its captive ship; he jerked the controls of his small fighter, hard, fighting to stabilize the small vessel as the wave's blast sent it rolling hard to its starboard side.

"What the hell was that?" he shouted over his cockpit transmitter, glancing back over his shoulder toward the shuttle again, watching as the heavily armored shuttle began to roll freely through space.

He stared, in stunned disbelief, as the bulk of the command shuttle's docking ring disintegrated, sending a huge array of shrapnel cascading out into space in a full three hundred sixty degree arc away from it, as the force of the violent blast pushed the two ships away from each other.

"The emergency charges must have detonated," he said, reaching for the comswitch on his control yoke; he stopped, though, as he suddenly caught sight of the huge plume of blue-white plasma that erupted from the _Destiny II's_ engines; he jerked his controls hard, swinging his ship around in a tight arc, as he watched the sleek, silver ship suddenly rocket away from the shuttle and head toward the planet's atmosphere below.

"All craft, stop that vessel," he shouted, powering up the weapon systems of his sleek, small fighter as he punched the throttle and fell in behind the _Destiny_ as it banked sharply toward the planet's upper atmosphere. "Shuttle Azzmar, come in," he shouted, glancing down at his small tactical display as he watched the heavily armored shuttle continue to cart-wheel out of control. He quickly checked the shuttle's energy readouts; it appeared, for all intensive purposes, to be drifting, dead in space.

"Something's happened to the Azzmar," he shouted again, his hollow voice ringing through his wingmen's cockpits as they fell in beside him and pursued the fleeing vessel as it surged ahead of them.

"Full power, and bring all weapons to bear on that ship," he said, reaching down and activating his targeting computer, as the three small ships bolted after it, like angry hornets, as it began to skip along the upper edges of Tatooine's atmosphere.

* * *

Artoo Deetoo engaged the strong magnets in his motor pods, and the electrostatic crackle filled the air around him as they pulled him tight to the decking where he sat near the co-pilot's station. He swung his sensor dome quickly back toward the pilot's seat; his main emergency light swung across the shuttle's wide, dark command console, and he stopped, voicing a long string of whistles and clicks as he brought the bright beam of light to bear on Anakin.

"Take her down into the atmosphere, Artoo," Anakin said, squinting in the bright beam of light as he glanced back at his little droid. "Start the automatic landing sequence. Let's put as much distance between them and us as we can," he said, looking quickly at the small translator display in his right hand, as he clung to the armrest of his chair with his left.

"Anakin," Padmé said, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as she clung tightly to Luke and Leia, fighting back the strong wave of dizziness that dogged her as the shuttle rolled over again. "They can't take much more of this. How much longer?"

He looked out of the cockpit window in front of him; he closed his eyes, just for a moment, and then opened them again, as he struggled to focus on the three small fighters amid the rotating field of stars. "Just a few more seconds," Anakin said, swallowing hard as he fought back the urge to gag as his own stomach screamed at him; his eyes continued to scan the star field in front of him, as Luke and Leia's frightened cries, and Threepio's as well, filled the cabin around them.

"Aaaah!'' Threepio cried, waving his arms frantically as he banged into the port side bulkhead again. "This is madness! I'm not built for this sort of thing!" he exclaimed, his anxious, panicked voice growing louder with each of the ship's somersaults.

"Threepio, _PLEASE!_" Padmé shouted angrily, glancing over at the frantic droid beside her as she heard him cry out again, even louder than the children.

"The back of his neck, small switch just below his central actuator," Anakin said quietly, as he wrapped his hands tightly around the controls in front of him. "Press it," he said, nodding his head as he looked back out of the cockpit window again.

Padmé shifted Leia higher in her arms as the ship righted itself again and, as quickly as she could, she reached over and probed the back of her droid's neck, as he continued to cry out and wave his arms excitedly. Her fingers found the switch, as she probed the small indentation just above his shoulders, and she pressed it quickly, watching with a sense of relief as Threepio's eyes went dark and he collapsed into the seat beside her.

"Thank you," she sighed, closing her eyes as she flung her arm tightly around Leia again, just as the ship began to roll over once more.

"Artoo, bring the engines and systems back online," Anakin said, snapping his head around toward the little droid beside him; he knew that Padmé and his children had taken about all that they could. "Fire the main engines and transfer thruster control to the pilot's station," he said, watching the three fighters as they continued to chase the _Destiny II_ into Tatooine's upper atmosphere.

Artoo's obedient reply echoing in her ears, Padmé closed her eyes and grit her teeth hard, holding onto Luke and Leia as tightly as she could, as she heard the ship's engines suddenly blaze to life.

The inertial dampers hadn't fully engaged, as the shuttle's engines sent the ship lurching forward toward the planet's surface; Anakin held onto the control yoke as tightly as he could, as he fought to stop the shuttle's angry roll along her starboard axis; Padmé opened her eyes, watching as her husband struggled with the controls.

"Why are we still rolling like this?" she asked, swallowing hard as she felt the bile rising in her throat, as she saw the star field, and Tatooine's orange-gold surface, continue to roll over and over in front of her.

"We're losing plasma in the starboard engine," Anakin growled through his teeth, pulling back on the damaged engine's throttle as he fought to stop the ship's roll. "It must have been damaged when the docking ring charges blew," he said, reaching over and silencing the alarm bell that rang through the cockpit around them.

"Some of the control circuits must have been damaged, too," he said, shaking his head as he twisted the yoke in his hands, as hard as he could, trying to level the shuttle's flight path. "The ship's not responding to the controls," he said, extending his right hand toward the engine control pad beside him. "It's like we're flying with a dead gondark on our back."

"Hang on, I'm going to try to compensate," he said, his fingers flying across the large, flashing control pad, as he quickly adjusted the shuttle's maneuvering thrusters.

"Artoo, deploy the starboard side drag flaps, now," Anakin shouted, glancing over at the little droid beside him as he fought to level the ship. "Let's see if we can pull her out of this spin."

Padmé immediately turned her attention to her daughter, as she heard her anxious cries grow louder. "Hang on, Leia," she whispered, as quietly and reassuringly as she could, as she held onto Luke and Leia with all of her might.

Padmé felt the ship shudder violently as the drag flags extended themselves; she glanced over at Artoo as their little droid's long string of whistles and clicks filled the shuttle's cabin once again. "I think it's working, Ani," she said, nodding her head slowly as she looked back up at the wide, square cockpit window; she could see the stars, and the planet ahead of them, begin to slow their angry spin as the ship began to level out.

"It's working, Ani, keep trying," she said, with more than a hint of relief in her voice as she glanced back over at Anakin and watched him work the throttle controls quickly as he tried to stabilize the huge, crippled shuttle.

"Blasted piece of Imperial junk," Anakin growled, fighting the wildly trembling yoke as hard as he could. "What good are emergency docking charges if it blows the ship to hell and back when you use them?" he said, shaking his head as he quickly surveyed the ship's engine status readouts.

"We're going to have to shut down the starboard engine once we hit the atmosphere, Artoo," he said, looking over at his droid as he worked at the command station beside him. "If that raw plasma leaks out on reentry, it'll blow the whole back quarter of the ship off."

Their attention was drawn away from the immediate crisis, at least for a moment, as the ship's intercom system suddenly sprang to life. They both turned their eyes to the center of the shuttle's command console, and Padmé narrowed her eyes and turned her head, just a bit, as the bright red indicator near its center began to flash, filling the cockpit with an eerie, flashing crimson light.

They both looked at each other for a long moment, as they heard the incoming message echo through the cabin around them. "_Shuttle Azzmar, come in. Request permission to open fire on unknown vessel. Please acknowledge."_

"Don't answer that," Anakin sighed sarcastically, shaking his head slowly as he smiled weakly at her for a moment, and then turned the shuttle hard, pushing the large, bulky ship into a sharp angle descent toward Tatooine's atmosphere.

"Like we were going to?" Padmé sighed, as she closed her eyes and hugged Luke and Leia as tightly as she could. She felt herself begin to laugh, softly, or least she thought she was laughing.

To be honest, she wasn't really sure if she was laughing, or crying, or both, and she didn't really care anymore. Her emotions were a jumbled mess at the moment, and it was taking every ounce of strength that she had to keep them under control. She knew that Anakin had sensed it, and she'd felt his reassuring tremor in her heart, as her troubled eyes had met his. Even now, while he was doing everything in his power to save their lives, she knew that he was trying to reassure her, to let her know that everything was going to be all right.

She opened her eyes and gazed at him again, as she felt Luke's small arms tighten around her neck. "Everybody hang on tight," Anakin said, reaching over and pushing the shuttle's engines to their limits. "This is going to be a pretty quick trip, so it's liable to get a little bumpy."

* * *

"Captain Daynar," the cockpit's speaker system echoed, as Daynar glanced over at his wingman beside him. "The Azzmar has powered up again, but she's still not responding to our hails. She appears to be damaged, sir," he said. "She's trailing plasma from her starboard engine."

"Where the devil is she going, then?" Daynar said, watching the shuttle's indicator on his head's up display as it banked sharply away from them; he didn't like this, he thought, as he craned his neck from his seat, looking back through the canopy glass over his shoulder. He could see the sun glint brightly off of the _Azzmar's_ three, large wings as she turned and headed toward the surface.

"All wings, lock weapons on target," he said, turning his full attention to the sleek, silver ship in front of them again; he could see the brilliant stream of golden plasma that rolled from its underbelly as it skipped along the surface of the planet's atmosphere.

"Yes, sir," Daynar heard his wingmen reply, in orderly, military fashion; he reached down and adjusted his targeting computer, his eyes never moving from the screen, as he watched the _Destiny II_ swing slowly toward the flashing red sights on his heads up display.

"I've got a lock," he said, as he saw the targeting crosshairs suddenly light up brightly as the smooth, high pitched tone filled his cockpit, just as he started to squeeze the trigger.

Daynar froze, as he suddenly heard his comlink crackle loudly, and then blaze to life. "_Don't fire!"_ he heard a panicked voice scream to him. "_Captain! I repeat, don't fire! This is Janden! For God's sake, don't fire!"_

"Janden?" Captain Daynar exclaimed, as he quickly released his finger from the trigger on his control yoke. "Where are you?"

_"I'm here, on this ship!"_ Janden screamed frantically. "_The ship's locked on some kind of autopilot, I'm trying to disengage it. The lieutenant and three of our troopers are dead,"_ he said, as Daynar jerked his head around and looked through his canopy window once again; he could see the Azzmar, just barely, skimming along the bright, orange horizon, as it began to disappear into the hazy atmosphere below.

"Bravo three, break off pursuit and try to track the Azzmar," the captain shouted, motioning through his canopy window to the ship that tracked along his port side. "Pursue and disable them if you can. Go!"

_"I'll try, sir,_" the pilot called, his hollow voice echoing through the ship's com system as he swung his fighter hard and headed off in pursuit of the shuttle. "_They're moving fast. If they make it into the atmosphere, we'll lose them."_

"What the hell happened, Janden?" Daynar exclaimed, glancing down at his tactical display again and watching as the Azzmar's signal tracked farther and farther away from them.

_"I don't know, sir,"_ Janden exclaimed groggily, as Daynar looked back at the ship in front of him, as it suddenly lurched hard to its port side, as the wounded, dazed corporal finally managed to disengage the remote autopilot._"But I think they were Jedi, judging from the lieutenant's wounds."_

"Jedi?" Daynar replied, bringing his fighter alongside the mysterious ship as it began to climb up out of the upper atmosphere and slow significantly. "Are you sure? Did you get a good look at them?"

The captain banged his fist soundly in frustration on the console beside him as he heard Janden's shaken, panicked voice come back to him._"No, sir,"_ Janden replied. "_I… I never got a chance to see any of them. They ambushed me, just as I was entering the ship. I found the lieutenant and the others when I finally came to. I… I don't know why they didn't kill me, too."_

Captain Daynar listened intently, as he heard his cockpit speaker blaze to life again. _"Captain, this is Bravo Three," _he heard the pilot call. _"The Azzmar has just disappeared from my scope, sir. They've made it into the atmosphere,"_ he said._"We've lost them."_

"Bravo Two, open a channel to the _Sepulcher_, code red," Daynar snapped, as he swung his fighter around in a steep, tight arc. "Notify Commander Ozzel immediately to send out an intercept team," he said, looking back toward the planet's surface below him. "Advise him that I think we've just lost a shuttle to a Jedi Knight."

* * *

Anakin was an exceptional pilot; indeed, since the first time he'd strapped himself into a racing pod at the age of eight years, his skills had grown consistently. Yet now, as he struggled to bring the massive, crippled shuttle through the dense atmosphere of his home planet, he wished that Padmé were in the copilot seat to help him. The vessel didn't really lend itself well to a single pilot, much less so when it was only using one engine; Padmé's own skills were exceptional, and he could have used them now. Indeed, there were times, when he'd seen her at the controls, when he had watched the grace and finesse with which she commanded a ship, that he realized, with a sense of deep satisfaction and pride, that her skills in some ways exceeded his own. Yet he knew that what she was doing now was far more important, as he felt the strong emotions that flowed from her, as she watched over and comforted their two small, frightened children.

He glanced over at Artoo, as the little droid suddenly began to whistle and beep excitedly. "What now, Artoo?" he asked, turning his attention quickly back to the shuttle's controls as it bucked wildly again; he was coming in hot, way too fast for a ship of this size. "No more bad news, okay?"

"What's he saying?" Padmé asked, as she heard Artoo's anxious, excited electronic whistles and clicks as he swung his sensors back toward Anakin again.

"I don't know, I can't look right now," Anakin said, shaking his head firmly as he wrestled with the controls as the shuttle bounced violently through the atmosphere.

"Get the translator," he said, glancing over at the small display that lay on the console beside him as the ship continued to buck wildly. "See what he's trying to tell us."

Anakin lips curled into the hint of a grin, as he glanced over and saw the tiny display suddenly leap into the air, as Padmé lifted her right hand from Luke's back and reached toward it. He turned his attention back toward the cockpit window again, as he watched the searing hot plasma whip over the craft's shields as they began to break through the planet's atmosphere.

"He says he's lost control of the _Destiny,_" Padmé said, shaking her head and frowning deeply as she looked back up at him from the small display in her hand. "He says the signal was broken on the other end."

"She must've broken up in the atmosphere," Anakin said, as he pulled back on the shuttle's controls and began to level their descent; Tatooine's barren, sandy landscape loomed brightly below them, and he breathed a collective sigh of relief as he felt the ship begin to smooth out dramatically as he pulled back on the throttle controls and slow their approach.

"I don't think so, Ani," Padmé said, shaking her head as she watched him look back at her. "He says he was still reading telemetry from her. Somebody disengaged the autopilot from the _Destiny's_ console."

They both looked at each other for a long moment. "The pilot," they both said, in perfect unison, as they quickly came to the same, uncomfortable conclusion.

"Great," Anakin sighed, shaking his head as he reached over and tapped the controls beside him. "Then it's a fair bet the Empire's going to know we're here," he sighed, as he engaged the landing flaps and activated the gear proximity sensors.

Padmé watched, as Anakin reached down and begin to dig, somewhat frantically, through his pockets. "Here, hang onto this," he said, quickly pulling his encryption key from his pocket and holding it up over his shoulder. "I'm going to see if I can find a good place to set this thing down," he said, as he felt Padmé take the small key from him. "We're going to need to contact Andar as soon as we land."

Padmé looked at the small encryption key in her fingers for a moment. "They're going to be looking for us, Ani," she said, squeezing the key in her fist as she tightened her grip on her children, rocking them gently, as they both clung tightly to her. "Are you sure bringing him into this is a good idea?"

"We were going to have too, anyway," Anakin sighed, turning the controls smoothly as he brought them closer to the planet's sandy surface. "Besides they're looking for this shuttle. We've got to ditch this thing as fast as we can," he said, glancing back at Padmé again. "And we're going to need his help."

* * *

"What?" Threepio said, as his optical sensors suddenly began to glow; he looked around, somewhat confused, as he struggled to get his bearings as his systems, and his visual circuits, began to function again.

"What happened?" he said, cocking his head and looking up at Padmé, as he saw her gazing back at him. He surveyed her quickly, instantly noticing the change in her appearance.

"How long was I out, Miss Padmé?" he asked, waving his arms somewhat frantically as he caught sight of her light saber, as it swung gracefully at her side. "Is everything all right? I must have taken quite a jolt. The last thing I remember, you were sitting there with Master Luke and Mistress Leia, dressed in…"

"Threepio," Padmé said, placing her fingers gently on the small rectangular orifice on his smooth metal face, "You're fine. I'll explain later. But there's something I need you to do right now," she said, as she held Anakin's encryption key up in front of him.

"Of course, my lady," Threepio said, reaching up and taking the key from her with his metal fingers. "Anything that I can do to help is, of course, my…"

"Thank you, Threepio," Padmé said, smiling back at him in the cockpit's dim light as she interrupted him again. "I need you to get on the com system and contact Andar Gandh," she said, nodding her head slowly as she took a step back and watched Threepio rise, as quickly as he could, to his feet. "Give him our coordinates, and tell him we need him to come and pick us up as quickly as possible. Understand?"

"Of course, Miss Padmé," Threepio said, watching her as she smiled at him, one more time, and then turned and headed toward the small doorway that led to the shuttle's rear cargo hold.

"And when you finish, shut the com station off and come join us," she said, placing her hand on the bulkhead as she turned to look at him once again, watching him as he shuffled up to the communications terminal on the aft bulkhead of the cockpit. "We'll be in the cargo hold."

"Yes, Miss Padmé," Threepio said, turning his attention to the console in front of him. Padmé watched him, quietly, as he slipped Anakin's encryption key into the slot on the front of the console and began to bring the transmitter online.

Threepio glanced up, pausing for just a moment, as he watched Padmé turn and disappear quickly through the small doorway. "Oh, dear," he sighed, turning his sensors back to the console again as he engaged Anakin's encryption key and fed the signal through it. "I knew coming here was a bad idea."

* * *

Anakin turned around slowly, as he heard the sound of her boots approaching; he returned her smile, as she walked up close beside him and placed her hand gently on his shoulder.

"So how's the ship?" Padmé asked, turning her attention to Artoo, as he sat quietly at the cargo hold's data terminal.

"It's a miracle we were able to even land this piece of junk," Anakin snorted, nodding at Artoo as he withdrew his data probe from the terminal and spun to face them. "The entire plasma control circuit is gone," he sighed, looking back at Padmé as Artoo rolled up beside them and whistled, quite sadly.

"In short," Anakin sighed, shaking his head slowly as she looked up at him, "this ship's not going anywhere."

"Great," Padmé sighed, nodding her head as she looked out of the open cargo bay at the endless dunes of sand that stretched out into the distance. "So what do we do if Threepio can't raise Andar?" she said, turning her worried eyes back to her husband again.

"I'm still working on that," Anakin sighed, looking back out across the barren landscape; it was late evening, and the suns were setting fast.

"How are they?" Padmé asked quietly, placing her other hand gently on Luke's back, as Anakin held them both securely in his arms; they both clung to their father tightly, their small arms wrapped securely around Anakin's neck, their heads resting on his shoulder. They were quiet now, and Padmé took a long, deep breath, sighing deeply as she shifted her thoughts away from their current predicament and focused intently on their familiar, soothing tremors.

"They're a little shaken up, but I think they're both fine, Mom," Anakin said softly, turning toward Padmé as she reached up and brushed Luke's fine, sandy brown hair from his eyes. "I think they're almost asleep now," he whispered.

"Leia is," Padmé said, nodding as she glanced at her sleeping daughter. "I can feel it," she said, turning her attention back to Luke again. "But our little boy's not," she whispered with a smile, as Tatooine's slowly setting suns cast a soft, golden glow through the open cargo hold.

Anakin smiled, as he watched Padmé raise up on her toes, and kiss him tenderly on his small, tear-stained cheek. "Are you okay, Angel?" he asked softly, as he saw the concerned, worried look on her face as she gazed quietly at her son.

"I'm just worried about them," she said quietly, looking back into Anakin's calm, blue eyes as she placed her hands gently on both of her children. "They were both so scared."

"And to be honest, so am I," she sighed, looking out of the open cargo hold again, as she felt another hot gust of wind blow through the hold around them. Anakin watched her, as she shook her head slowly for a long moment, and then looked back up at him again. "How do we keep getting ourselves into these situations?" she sighed, a sarcastic, worried smile spreading across her lovely face as she gazed up at him.

"Here," Anakin said, turning Leia toward her, as he sensed the worry and concern that flowed through her heart. "I think Mommy needs a hug," he said, grinning softly at her as he watched her scoop Leia's small, sleeping body gently from his arm.

"Mommy sure does," Padmé said quietly, closing her eyes and hugging Leia tightly as she wrapped her small arms tightly around her neck. Anakin watched her quietly, for a long moment, as she gently stroked Leia's thick, dark hair and cuddled her close to her chest. His smile widened, as he sensed the overwhelming wave of love and devotion that flowed to him through the Force, as she stood close beside him.

"Well, I've got one for you too," he said, gazing fondly at her as she opened her eyes and smiled, somewhat weakly, at him. "Just as soon as we can get a minute to breath so I can give it to you."

"I need it," she said, nodding her head slowly as she closed her eyes again and leaned against him. They both stood there quietly for a long moment, holding their children tightly in their arms, as they looked out of the shuttle's cargo hold across the golden, barren landscape.

"I hope Andar gets here soon," Anakin sighed, placing his free arm tightly around Padmé's shoulders as he pulled her close to him. "We can't stay here much longer, and I don't particularly like the idea of us trying to find shelter in these mountains tonight."

Padmé nodded her head slowly, as she remembered how cold it had been that night, when she and Anakin had gone into that Tusken camp looking for his mother. "Will it be that cold here?" she asked, glancing up at him as she felt the warm evening air that flowed into the cockpit through the open loading ramp.

"Yeah," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly as he looked out across the barren, empty desert. "It'll start dropping, big time, in about an hour," he said, turning his eyes toward her again. "The atmosphere's just too thin to keep the heat in, for long."

"What'll we do if he doesn't get here in time?" she asked quietly, turning her worried, troubled face back to his again.

"He'll get here," Anakin said, smiling reassuringly at her as he squeezed her shoulder tightly. "Don't worry, we'll be out of here in…"

Padmé froze, as she and Anakin both whipped their heads back around and looked out across the golden brown landscape; her breath caught in her throat, and a cold, familiar wave of fear shot through her, as she suddenly heard the haunting, blood-chilling sound echo across the barren landscape.

She'd first heard the sound before, on that dark, cold night long ago; it was distant, much more so that it had been that evening, yet it conjured up a fear, and memories of pain and anguish that she thought she had forgotten, as she heard the ungodly howl travel across the empty, lonely desert, and then fade slowly off into the distance.

Her heart began to pound in her chest, as she looked out across the endless sand; the larger, golden sun began to slip below the horizon, and the dark purple clouds whipped across the sky, driven by Tatooine's endless, eternal wind, as the setting sun painted the desert with an eerie twilight.

It would have been a beautiful sight, if it had been anywhere else, at any other time; yet now, as she sensed the anxiety in Anakin's heart, as she felt his hand tighten around her shoulders, it was a terrifying image indeed, as she felt the tiny grains of sand bite into her skin as the rapidly cooling desert wind whipped through the cargo hold around them, tossing her long, brown hair briskly around her shoulders.

"Oh, God, Anakin," she whispered, holding her daughter as tightly as she could, as she looked up at him. "What are we going to do?"

"Whatever we have too," Anakin said quietly, as the wind tossed his long, disheveled hair in front of his face; he felt Padmé jump again, and he instinctively hugged her, and Luke, as tightly as he could as he looked out across the barren desert, as the raider's ungodly howl echoed across the sand again.

* * *

Shanda jerked her head up, as she heard the latch on the heavy door ratchet loudly. She turned to the two small, frighten children who huddled beside her in the damp, dark cell, raising her hand and motioning for them to stay still, as they heard the loud, angry voices echo from the hall behind the door, as it opened with a loud, angry creak.

She felt her heart begin to race, as she watched the two large, burly guards drag Obi-Wan through the doorway, quite roughly; she blinked her eyes, as she stood up slowly, watching the three shadowy figures silhouetted against the bright light that shone from the hallway behind them.

"All right, back you go," she heard one of the guard's deep, angry voices laugh, watching with a growing sense of despair as they hurled her master into the cell and onto the hard stone floor. She took an anxious step toward him, as she heard his pain-filled groan as he struck the hard floor, but she froze as she watched one of the guards take a couple of steps toward her and the children.

"Here ya go, missy," the guard chuckled, as he tossed her a handful of dirty towels and rags. He watched with a grin as she leapt forward, catching them before they hit the grimy, damp floor, and then glared back up at him angrily.

"You might want to take a look at your friend here," he chuckled, gesturing toward Obi-Wan as he lay, writhing in pain, on the floor beside him. "Wouldn't want him to bleed to death before they get a chance to turn him over."

Shanda glared at him silently, as she watched him turn to his companion and slap him on the shoulder as they both continued to laugh. She fought back the rage that welled up inside her, glancing back at her wounded master, as the two guards turned and, giving her and the children one last amused glance, walked back through the heavy cell door and slammed it shut behind them.

"Master Obi-Wan," she cried, as she rushed quickly across the cell and dropped to her knees by his side. She placed the bundle of rags that the guard had given her in her lap, and, taking hold of his shoulders, she reached into the Force and pulled him over toward her, as gently but quickly as she could, so that she could see his face.

"Oh, no," she whispered, a sense of despair welling up inside her heart along with the tears that filled her eyes, as she saw Obi-Wan's badly beaten face, as he flopped limply onto his back with a painful moan. "Master Obi-Wan, please," she pleaded, as she reached down and began to sort frantically through the matted knot of rags in her lap for a reasonably clean one. "Talk to me, please."

Shanda turned and motioned frantically for the children to join her, as she pulled a large piece of cloth from the jumbled pile in her lap and quickly ripped it in half. "Sanjii, here take this," she said, handing part of the rag in her hand to the frightened, dark-haired little girl closest to her. "Take this and rinse it out, as best you can," she said, gesturing toward the stream of water that trickled in from the grate at the top of the wall across from them. "And hurry, okay?"

"Yes, Shanda," Sanjii replied, nodding her head obediently, as she turned and ran across the cell as quickly as she could.

"Tear this into strips, Marcus," Shanda said, handing the other half to the little boy beside her, as he gazed, frightened and worried, at Obi-Wan's bloody, swollen face. Shanda looked at him; she could sense the fear that flowed through his young heart, as she reached out to him through the Force.

"Marcus," she said softly, as she reached over and squeezed his shoulder; she nodded her head reassuringly, as she smiled, as best she could, back at him. "Focus, Marcus. I need your help," she said, glancing back at Obi-Wan as she watched him try to open his left eye and groan again with pain; his right one was swollen completely shut. "He needs your help."

Marcus took the rag from her, and she turned her attention quickly back to Obi-Wan again, as the lad began to tear the cloth into strips as she had requested. "Just lie still, Master," she said, placing her hands on his shoulders and pushing him gently back down on the floor, as he tried to sit up. "Don't move."

"Oooohhh," Obi-Wan moaned, as he let his muscles go limp again; he grimaced, just a bit, as he felt Shanda slip her hand behind his head and lift it up, very carefully, as she placed a couple of the soiled, grimy rags under it. "I… I don't feel so good."

"You don't look so good, either," Shanda replied, making no effort to hide the worry in her voice as she turned and watched Sanjii run back toward her, carrying the now dripping wet rag that Shanda had given her in her outstretched hands.

"Here, Shanda," Sanjii said, her voice trembling as she knelt beside her and placed the wet cloth in her hands. "This is as clean as I could get it," she said, as she reached up and pushed a lock of her coal-black hair back behind her ear.

"Thank you, Sanjii," Shanda replied, taking the cloth from her and wringing it out several times. "That's good enough," she said, as she reached down to the belt at her waist; she rummaged through one of the pouches for a moment, until she quickly produced several small vials of ointment and a small antiseptic spray.

"Here, hold these," she said, placing the small items in Sanjii's outstretched palms, and then turning her attention to her master again. "This may hurt a bit, Master," Shanda said, apologetically, as she picked up the damp towel and leaned a bit closer to his bruised, bloody face.

She recoiled, just a bit, as she felt the strong wave of pain that surged through his body as she began to gently clean the gaping cut just above his swollen right eye. "I'm so sorry, Master," she said, as she felt that wave of despair and hopelessness dog her again.

Obi-Wan took a deep, painful breath; he reached down deeply into the Force, fighting to push back the pain that coursed through his body as he opened his left eye, as wide as he could, and looked up at his young padawan.

"It's alright, Shanda," he said, as reassuringly as he could, as he reached up and took her hand in his, squeezing it tightly as he managed a painful smile. He paused for a moment, taking another long, deep breath, as he fought to clear his pain-clouded mind. "I didn't mean... to frighten you. Go ahead."

"Are you hurt anywhere else, Master Obi-Wan?" Shanda asked, as she leaned close to him, dabbing gingerly at the blood and dirt that covered his face as she began to clean his wounds. "I mean, other than this?" she sighed, as she carefully cleaned the huge gash above his eye.

"It might be easier to tell you... where it doesn't hurt," Obi-Wan groaned, doing his best to manage a smile as he looked up at her. "My legs feel all right," he said, grimacing again as Shanda continued to mop the blood and dirt from his face. "The rest of me isn't doing so well."

"We can see that," Shanda sighed, turning and handing the blood soaked rag back to Sanjii again. "Can you rinse this out for me again, Sanjii?" she asked, as she took one of the vials of ointment the young padawan offered her.

Obi-Wan smiled, as best he could, as he watched the little girl leap to her feet and run back across the dim, dirty cell. "You've got some good help," he said, closing his eyes again as Shanda took one of the strips of cloth from young Marcus and opened the small vial of ointment. "You might want to keep these two around," he said, grimacing again as she leaned close and began to apply the clear, thick medication to the gash above his eye. "They'll… they'll make good padawans someday."

"I can't have two padawans, Master, you know that," Shanda sighed, as she carefully tended his wounds. "Besides, I'm still your padawan," she said, smiling back at him as he opened his eye and looked up at her. "And I probably will be for a long, long time."

"Yes, you're definitely my padawan, alright, and I'm sorry about that," Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head weakly as he watched Shanda take the long strip of cloth that Marcus had given her and fold it lengthwise, very carefully. "And it seems you're doing the same thing Anakin always did, getting me out of trouble," he sighed, as he watched her smile back at him.

"Uncle Anakin made me promise I'd take good care of you," Shanda sighed, as she lifted Obi-Wan's head very gently, tucking the strip of cloth under it quickly, and then bound it carefully around his forehead. "I'm afraid he wouldn't be very happy with me right now," she sighed, as she carefully adjusted the makeshift bandage, making sure it completely covered the gaping, angry wound.

She stopped, looking back at Obi-Wan's face as she felt his hand on her arm again. "Anakin would be very proud of you," he said quietly, as he smiled back at her. "Just as I am."

Shanda smiled, as they looked at each other for a moment, and then she turned her attention back to Sanjii, as she returned and handed the freshly rinsed cloth to her again. "Why did they do this to you, Master?" she asked, as she took the cloth and wrung it out again, and then went back to work as she cleaned the blood and dirt from his face and beard. "What is it that they want?"

"I'm not completely sure," Obi-Wan sighed, closing his eye again as Shanda began to carefully clean the other one. "He's a bounty hunter, an overly arrogant one. His… His name is Micah Ellisar, I was able to learn that much," he said, looking up at his padawan again as she worked. "I… I think he plans to turn me over to Vader for… the bounty on my head," he sighed. "That's why they ambushed us."

"But why's he doing this to you?" Shanda asked, a puzzled, angry tone in her voice as she stopped and leaned back a bit, surveying the maze of bruises and cuts on her master's face. "It doesn't make any sense. Why doesn't he just turn you over? Why would he risk killing you by beating you like this? Vader wants you alive, everyone knows that."

"I'm not sure. It might have been because I was a little… less than cooperative," Obi-Wan sighed, smiling up at her weakly as she looked at him, puzzled and confused. "He's not just an arrogant bastard, he's an intelligent one," he sighed, as Shanda turned and took the small vial of antiseptic spray from Sanjii's outstretched palm.

"Doesn't sound much like a bounty hunter, then," Shanda snorted, shaking her head as she leaned close to him again. "I need to treat these scrapes and scratches, Master," she said. This may sting a little."

"No, it'll sting a lot," Obi-Wan groaned, closing his eyes as he nodded his head slowly. "Go ahead," he said, and he took a deep breath, holding it, as Shanda carefully sprayed the stinging, biting spray onto each of the cuts that adorned his bearded face.

"I still don't understand," Shanda sighed, as she carefully examined Obi-Wan's face, making sure she hadn't missed any of his wounds. "If he's just a bounty hunter, all he'd care about is turning you over for the reward, and be done with you. I don't know why he's doing this."

"I know, and it puzzles me, too," Obi-Wan said, opening his eye and looking up at her; he took another breath and grimaced, as he raised himself, slowly and painfully, up on his elbows.

"Be careful, Master," Shanda said, shaking her head firmly as she tried to stop him. "You need to lie still. Don't try to..."

"Shanda," Obi-Wan said again, sighing deeply as he took several deep breaths, reaching into the Force as he pushed back the pain that dogged him. "I think there may be much more here than meets the eye."

Shanda knelt there beside him, watching quietly as Obi-Wan frowned off into space for a few moments; he looked deeply thoughtful for a long time, then sighed deeply and turned his eyes back toward her. "Do you know the disc I always carry with me, the encryption key that Anakin gave me several years ago?"

"Yes," Shanda replied, with a nod of her head.

"He knew right where it was," Obi-Wan replied quietly, his eyes instantly conveying his own trepidation. "And he's taken it."

Shanda frowned, in disbelief, as she sat quietly at his side for a long moment. "Why would he take your encryption key?" she asked, her voice soft and trembling, as she glanced over at the two young padawans that knelt beside her. "Are you sure he took it on purpose, that he wasn't just searching for..."

"Oh, he took it on purpose, all right," Obi-Wan groaned, reaching up and touching his swollen eye gingerly as he spoke. "He wasn't just rummaging through my things, he knew what he was after, and he knew right where to look," he snorted, cringing as he touched the bandage that covered the nasty gash on his forehead.

"But, that would mean that he'd have to have known where it was, and the only way he could know that..." Shanda stopped, shaking her head in disbelief as Obi-Wan looked up at her and nodded his own. She didn't need to finish her thought - she knew that he was thinking the same thing, no matter how unbelievable it might seem.

"Someone told him where to find it, and for what reason, I can't say," he said, looking back at his padawan again as she listened intently. "There's something going on here, something much more serious than you and I being turned over for a bounty."

"But what are we going to do?" Shanda asked, a worried, anxious look spreading across her face as she glanced around the dark, empty cell. "We don't have our weapons, no one knows we're here," she said, a tone of frustration growing in her voice. "For that matter, we don't even know where we are. How are we going to get out of here, much less figure out what's going on?"

"I'm working on that," Obi-Wan sighed, as he surveyed the cell around them; Shanda was right. There wasn't much to work with here, not even anything that lent itself readily to being manipulated by the Force. The walls were thick, exceptionally so, and the heavy iron and wood door was far too strong to even attempt to force it.

"Micah obviously knows a thing or two about Jedi," he said, turning his attention back to Shanda again. "That's why we've got to be extremely careful. I don't think he knows about the children, yet, and I'm not sure he suspects you, either," he said, as Shanda listened intently. "I don't want to tip our hand, so don't give him any information that he doesn't need, alright?"

"Yes, Master," Shanda replied, nodding her head shakily as she watched him smile weakly at her.

"Until then, we'll do what my old master suggested to myself and Anakin, shortly after I'd first met your uncle," he sighed. "We shall be patient. We'll deal with the situation at hand, and wait on the Force to guide us."

"Please, Master," Shanda begged, placing her hand firmly on his shoulder, as he groaned loudly and tried to sit up. "Just lie still for a minute, at least give the pain medication in that spray a little while to work."

"Not a bad idea," he groaned, leaning back on his elbows again, as he felt his body cry out in pain; he could feel the blood rushing through his face, as he took several more deep breaths, and then looked carefully around the room again.

"Have we got anything to eat?" he asked, looking back at Shanda and the children again.

"Eat?" Shanda asked, a somewhat bewildered look on her face as she sat back on the floor beside him. "Master, how can you think of food at a time like this?"

"First order of business," Obi-Wan sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Survival. Do we have anything?"

Shanda nodded at Sanjii, and they both watched as the little padawan jumped to her feet and ran to the wall behind them, picking up several small metal pails. "Some kind of bread, and a few jars of water," Shanda replied, as they watched Sanjii bring them over and sit them down next to them. "They brought it in a while ago, but we were afraid to eat it."

"Well, there's no sense in him trying to poison us, now," Obi-Wan said, as he reached into the small pail and pulled out a couple of pieces, handing them to the children. "Here, you two," he said, as the children took the bread from him, and began to eat hungrily. "You, too," he said, reaching back into the pail and handing a piece to Shanda.

Shanda sank her teeth into the hard, small loaf of bread; she closed her eyes and pulled, hard, as she tore off a piece and began to chew, slowly. "It's not too bad," she said, shrugging her shoulders as she looked back at her master with a weak smile.

"Well, it'll help you keep you strength up," he said, pausing as he took a bite of the piece that Shanda handed to him. "And we need to be ready for whatever opportunity presents itself," he sighed, chewing slowly and painfully, as they all sat quietly in the dim, quiet cell, as Tatooine's evening sun began to slip below the horizon.

* * *

Commander Ozzel stood silently on the Sepulcher's command deck, listening intently, as Captain Daynar's image flickered on the small holographic projector in front of him.

"We've located the ship, sir," Daynar said, his brilliant white trooper's uniform tinted blue-green by the holograph's image converter. "Mark one eight seven, quadrant fourteen, near the southern tip of an area the locals call the Jundland wastes."

Lieutenant Needa stood quietly, his hands folded behind his back, as he saw the angry, irritated expression on his commanding officer's face. "Have you found any trace of who was in the shuttle?"

"Negative, sir," Daynar replied. "The ship's transponder is missing, as are some of the emergency supplies," he continued, as his image flickered again. "We found tracks, there appear to be at least two of them, and possibly a couple of droids."

"That would corroborate Corporal Janden's report," Needa said, as he and his commanding officer exchanged a quick glance. "He said that Leiutenant Krantz reported that there were several droids aboard that vessel, just before they lost contact with him."

"Can you tell which way they went?" Ozzel asked, his tone dark and brooding, as he turned his attention back to the holograph again.

"We have a general idea of direction, sir," Daynar replied, gesturing with his hand behind him. "But the wind here has obscured almost all of their tracks, except for a few close to the ship," he said, as Ozzel frowned angrily.

"Take a squadron of eight, and follow those tracks, best guess estimate," Ozzel snapped, watching as Daynar nodded his head obediently. "Have the rest of the search party recover that shuttle, and I want those individuals captured. Is that understood?"

"Understood clearly, sir," Daynar replied, and Ozzel watched as his image flickered, and then disappeared.

"You were unable to retrieve any information from the vessel we captured?" Ozzel asked, snapping his attention back to his first officer again.

"Negative, sir," Needa replied, watching as his frustrated commander slammed his fist down hard on the console in front of him. "The computer system was wiped clean when we found it. Whoever they were, they covered their tracks well."

"Impound that ship," Ozzel growled, turning his angry face back to Lieutenant Needa again. "I want hourly reports, and have the rest of the landing party join the search as soon as they've recovered the shuttle," he said, glancing back out of the command deck windows; he stood quietly for a moment, his face dark and angry, as he looked at the brilliant, golden planet that loomed below them.

"No one kills one of my command crews, steals a shuttle, and escapes on my watch," Ozzel growled angrily. "Double the patrols," he said, as he stormed across the command deck angrily, the sound of his boots echoing off the bulkheads around as he walked. "If a single ship tries to enter or leave this system, I want to know about it."

"Understood, sir," Needa said, taking a long, nervous breath as he watched his commander storm away. He watched him for a long moment, and then turned his attention back to the bridge crew again. "You heard the commander," Needa said, nodding toward the officer who manned the com station beside him. "Get to work."

* * *

Beru shivered, as she sat on the small table out back of their home; she wrapped her arms around herself a little tighter, pulling the afghan she'd retrieved from Shanda's bed up over her shoulders, as she gazed up at the crystal clear night sky.

Shanda loved to sit out here on nights like this; she would sit for hours, sometimes, just gazing up at the bright, twinkling stars. She had spent most of her young life on Coruscant, and the massive city planet's ever-present veil of light obscured all but the brightest of the stars in its hazy golden-black night sky. Tatooine's cool nights, however, offered an unobstructed window to the heavens above, and Shanda had been fascinated with it, every since that first night when she had come here with Obi-Wan, a confused, frightened young padawan with no place to call home.

Beru reached up and wiped away the tear that stood on her cheek, as she heard the sound of the door behind her; she glanced back over her shoulder, smiling weakly as she watched her husband Owen close the door behind him, and then walk slowly over to join her.

"You okay?" Owen asked, as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"As okay as I can be, I guess," Beru sighed softly; she closed her eyes, resting her head on his chest as he placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"I can't help but feel that this is all my fault, somehow," she said softly, turning her troubled, tear-stained face up to him.

"Don't say that," Owen replied, shaking his head firmly as he rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. "None of this is your fault."

"Yes it is, Owen," Beru sighed; she looked down at her hands again, as she toyed with the fringe that lined the edge of Shanda's colorful afghan. "I never should have let her go on this one, I had a bad feeling about it the moment that they left," she said, as she looked out at the barren, sandy landscape that stretched before her.

"And now I've drug poor Anakin and Padmé into this," she said softly, as her eyes began to well up with tears again. "They're out there, somewhere, and they've got those babies with them," she said, shaking her head as her voice began to tremble. "If anything happens to them, I don't... I don't know..."

Owen held his wife as tightly as he could, as she buried her face in his chest and began to sob softly. "Everything's going to be all right, Beru," he said softly, as he kissed her gently on the crown of her head. "Tayja said that Andar is out looking for them right now. They'll be fine, I promise."

Owen looked back out at the barren, cold sand that stretched out endlessly in front of them; he sighed, as his eyes scanned the horizon for a long moment. He hoped, with all of his heart, that he was right.

* * *

Padmé looked back at the small fire that blazed a short distance in front of her, watching as another cloud of golden embers danced into the cool night air, as Anakin tossed another handful of dry limbs and scrub grass into the flames.

"There," he sighed, as he stood up, being careful not to hit his head on the rocky overhang under which they'd taken shelter. "There's not much to burn around here," he said, as he walked over and knelt beside her, smiling reassuringly as she cradled their two children in her lap. "But that should be enough to keep us warm until Andar gets here."

"I don't know how you even found that much," Padmé sighed, as she shifted Luke and Leia in her arms; she grimaced, just a bit, as they both wiggled and shifted restlessly in her lap.

Anakin stood up and smiled, as he watched her struggling with their two nervous, fidgety children. "Here," he said, kneeling down beside her and taking Leia in his arms as she held her small arms out to him, "Why don't you come and sit with me, sweetie? Mommy's got her hands full," he said, as he turned around and sat down beside Padmé, looking back at his daughter with a smile as she snuggled down in his lap.

Padme grinned, as she watched him grimace painfully and quickly reach down beside him. "Ow," he said, frowning painfully as he reached underneath him and pulled out the sharp, jagged stone he'd accidentally sat down on. "That didn't feel too good," he groaned, as he rubbed his backside tenderly; he looked back up at Padmé, grinning slyly as he saw her laughing at him.

"Oh, sure, it's funny when I do it," he smirked, watching as she leaned back against the hard, stone wall, still laughing. "It wasn't funny when you did it a minute ago."

"That's because I'm more delicate than you are," she giggled, as she glanced over at him, her eyes twinkling in the soft glow of the dancing firelight.

"Oh, is that what you call it," he chuckled, reaching over and picking up the thick, multi-colored blanket that lay on the ground beside him.

"Has Artoo picked up anything at all?" Padmé asked, laying her head gently on his shoulder as he tossed their blanket over them, tucking it securely around Leia's small shoulders.

"Not yet," Anakin sighed, as he leaned his head back against the rock and closed his eyes; the little niche they had found in the rocks wasn't much, but at least it offered some shelter from the relentless night wind, making the heat from their small, modest fire that much more effective. "He's up on the ridge above us, though, and he's using every trick he knows," he sighed.

"He'll let us know if anything happens, good or bad," Anakin said, taking another long, deep breath and exhaling slowly.

Padmé turned her attention to her son, as she heard him yawn deeply. "Are you warm enough, sweetheart?" she asked softly, as she tucked the blanket securely around his small shoulders; she smiled at him, as he turned his small, sleepy face up to her.

"Uh-huh," Luke said softly, closing his eyes again and snuggling close to her chest, as she leaned down and kissed him gently on the forehead.

Padmé turned her attention to Threepio, as she suddenly heard his voice. "Don't worry, Miss Padmé," he interjected, from the place where he sat a short distance from them, the flickering firelight reflecting brightly off his shiny silver panels. "Artoo's quite resourceful. I'm sure he'll make contact any time now."

"Threepio's right," Anakin replied, nodding his head firmly, as Padmé looked back toward him again. His eyes were still closed, his head resting on the rocks behind them, as he spoke. "Artoo's never let us down before, and he's not about to do it now."

Padmé smiled, as she felt the calm, reassuring tremor that traveled to her through the Force; her own doubts and worries began to fade as she sensed Anakin's calm, peaceful tremor. She glanced at Leia; she was almost asleep, snuggled close to her father's chest, as he gently stroked her long, dark hair as she rested in his strong arms.

She sighed again, wrapping her arms around Luke a little tighter, as she laid her head gently on Anakin's shoulder again. "You know, this could actually be nice, if we weren't stranded in the middle of nowhere," she smiled, closing her own eyes as she felt the small fire's warmth begin to cut away at least some of the night air's chill.

She sat there quietly for a moment, and then opened her eyes slowly, watching quietly as the fire in front of them danced and crackled brightly. "How do we get ourselves into these messes, Ani?" she sighed, finally, shaking her head slowly as she looked back up at him. She felt herself begin to laugh, very softly, as she saw the bright smile that spread across his face.

"I have no idea," Anakin chuckled, as he opened his eyes and smiled back at her; they looked at each other quietly for a long moment, and he watched as Padmé closed her eyes, still laughing softly, and laid her head back on his shoulder again.

She looked back up at him again, as she suddenly felt him begin to laugh harder. "The thing I want to know is," he laughed, "is why we can't seem to keep a ship?"

"That's two we've lost now," he laughed, an amused, frustrated smile on his face as he watched her begin to laugh as hard as he was. "This is getting expensive, and Artoo and I almost had that one fixed, too."

"Maybe we need to choose another name," Padmé laughed, as she snuggled close beside him and laid her head back down on his shoulder.

"Maybe we just need to give up and stay home," Anakin chuckled, as he felt her giggle and rub her cheek on his shoulder affectionately.

"I'm okay with that," she sighed, smiling brightly. "Naboo's a big planet, I'm sure there's enough for two Jedi to do there," she giggled, as she closed her eyes and took another deep, contented breath. They sat there for a long moment, laughing quietly, as the soft crackles and pops of their fire filled the air around them.

"We do seem to find ways to get into trouble, though, don't we?" he sighed, as he watched the flames from their fire dance for a moment in front of them. "I don't know, sometimes I don't understand, myself," he said, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the stone wall again.

"Master Obi-Wan always said I had a gift for getting into trouble," he sighed. "He said I used to go looking for it. I'm beginning to think he was right."

Anakin looked back at Padmé, as he heard her soft voice again. "That was a long time ago," she said quietly, slipping her arm around his and taking his hand tightly in hers as she snuggled close beside him. "You've changed a lot since then," she said, as she rubbed her cheek gently against his shoulder again. "We both have."

Padme sat there quietly for a long moment; she laced her fingers tightly in his, gently stroking the back of his hand with her thumb, as she listened to the fire crackle softly.

"I love you, Ani," she said finally, very softly.

Their eyes met, as they both looked back at each other for a long moment in the soft, flickering firelight. "I love you too, Padmé," Anakin whispered. "Don't worry," he said softly, shaking his head slowly as he smiled back at her reassuringly. "Everything's going to work out fine," he sighed, as he watched her lay her head back on his shoulder again. "I promise."

"Try to get some sleep," he said, closing his eyes and resting his head gently against hers. He reached into the Force, tuning his senses as tightly to his wife and children as he could.

He would let them sleep for the moment - yet he had no intention of doing so himself.

* * *

"Father," the tall, slender girl said, as she followed closely on the round, gray-haired man's heels as he made his way quickly down the narrow hallway. "Listen to me, please," she pleaded, waving her hands anxiously as she watched him put his arm through the sleeve of his jacket and hoist it onto his stout shoulders.

"Tayja, I told you already, I have to go," Andar replied, stopping in his tracks as he turned and looked at his daughter, a look of stern determination on his usually pleasant face. "This is important. You know that."

"But it's too dangerous," Tayja replied, shaking her head firmly as she started after him as he turned and continued down the hallway again. "At least take Devan with you," she said, glancing back at the tall, blond haired young man who followed close behind her.

"You said it yourself, this is too dangerous, with all the sand people out there," Andar said, as he took hold of the door and flung it open wide; the cold evening air struck his stout face, and he pulled his jacket tight around him as he stepped out into the cold night air, and then turned to face his daughter and son-in-law again.

"Enough misfortune has fallen on us the last couple of days," he said, his expression softening as he reached over and squeezed his daughter's shoulder tightly. "Stay and look after the remaining children," he said, watching as she closed her eyes and shook her head with frustration. "I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to either of you, or to your sisters."

"And you think we could live with ourselves if something happened to you?" Tayja snapped, her bright, brown eyes flashing in the courtyard lights that shown down on them as she folded her arms tightly across her chest.

"Tayja's right, Father," Devan interjected, as he unfolded his jacket and put his arm through the sleeve. "I'm coming with you, and that's final."

"You two are impossible, you know that full well, don't you?" Andar said, waving his arms in frustration as he watched Devan lean down and kiss Tayja as he pulled his jacket up onto his shoulders. "They're Jedi Knights, by all that's holy," he said, watching as Devan took the blaster pistol she offered him and tucked it into his pocket. "I'll be fine, as soon as I find them."

"He's a Jedi Knight, but she's still a padawan, and she's a mother, with two frightened children out there," Devan said, shaking his head firmly as he spoke. "Not what I'd call optimal circumstances, even for a Jedi, and, as you said, you've got to find them first," he said, tossing his father-in-law a sly smile as he strode past him and headed toward the large, enclosed speeder that sat a short distance from them. "And that's just what we're going to do."

"But, I'd feel much better if you'd just stay here with the girls, and…" Andar argued, following close behind Devan as he continued to try to reason with him.

"Stop arguing, Father, and just go," Tayja called, as she watched her father turn and shake his head, sighing deeply.

"And be careful," she called, a look of deep worry on her face as she watched Devan turn and smile back at her.

Andar sighed, waving his hand in resigned frustration as he followed Devan to the waiting speeder. "We will, don't worry," Devan called, as he reached down and touched the access button on the speeder's door, watching as it opened quickly with a loud hiss.

"Contact Owen Lars, and let him know that we're on our way to find them," Andar called, realizing that arguing with his daughter was, as usual, a waste of time and energy. "I'm sure that poor Beru is worried sick," he said, as his thoughts drifted to Obi-Wan and Shanda again. "Offer her as much encouragement as you can, but don't give her any unnecessary details, understand?"

"I will, Father," she said, nodding her head firmly. "And don't worry," she said, raising her hand and cutting him short as she saw him open his mouth again to speak. "I'll use the encrypted channel. Just go."

Tayja wrapped her arms tightly around herself, as she watched her husband and father climb into the waiting speeder; Devan fired the speeder's engines, and, as the wind tossed her hair wildly around her shoulders, she watched with a growing sense of apprehension as they sped off into the cold Tatooine night.

* * *

"Come in," Micah Elissar said, turning his chair around slowly to face the door; he looked at the small, translucent disc in his hand, studying it intently, as the door to his chambers opened, and he looked up and regarded the tall, thin gentleman who entered.

"Well, Ardenn," Micah said, smiling pleasantly at the tall, gaunt Massan as he walked slowly up to his desk. It always amazed him how slowly the Massans moved, even with their amazingly long strides. "I trust you've found the partial payment and our current arrangement to your liking?" Micah asked, placing the disc on the desk in front of him and folding his hands thoughtfully in front of him.

The smug smile on his face disappeared, as he watched the tall, rail-thin Massan reach under his cloak and toss a handful of credits, quite unceremoniously, onto the desk in front of him.

"I did not," Ardenn replied, blinking his large eyes slowly as he folded his long, spindly arms in front of him. "Never a part of our agreement, this was, eh?" he snapped, watching as Micah looked up at him, his silver-gray eyes studying the tall, gangly Massan closely as he spoke.

"Never would you have tracked down the Kenobi, had it not been for Ardenn," he said, rapping the table soundly with one of his long spindly arms as Micah watched silently. "Well paid Ardenn was to be for such service, eh, and only Ardenn could have provided it."

"Full payment is now, and here, eh?" Ardenn snapped, as he sneered at the small pile of credits he'd been given a short time earlier. "And delivered, the others are to be now. A deal Ardenn has with the Hutt Gardulla, and break that deal Ardenn will not, eh?" he said, holding his head up high as his toothless mouth frowned down at the silver-haired bounty hunter that sat behind the desk in front of him.

"Your services are greatly appreciated, Ardenn," Micah sighed, standing up slowly and folding his arms across his chest, as he walked slowly around the desk to where the tall Massan stood. "You were indeed instrumental in tracking down Kenobi, and yes, you will receive payment in full, as soon as I'm ready to hand Kenobi over to Lord Vader," he said, stopping just short of him and glaring up at his tall, slender companion.

"But not until I'm ready to hand him over," Micah said, shaking his head slowly as he watched his Massan friend frown down at him, angrily. "And the children don't go anywhere," he said, reaching down and picking up the disc from his desk and tucking it into his belt. "Not until I say so."

"Care not, Ardenn does, about your silly plans," the Massan snapped angrily, as he glowered down at Micah again, waving his narrow arms wildly. "Never a part of our deal this was, and silly bounty hunter will make good on his bargain now, eh?"

"Listen carefully to me, my tall, stupid friend," Micah growled, taking a step toward the angry Massan; Ardenn looked down, swallowing hard, as he watched the silver-haired bounty hunter unfasten the strap on the blaster pistol at his hip. "Your agreements with that disgusting, slave trading gangster don't concern me in the least," he said, shaking his head slowly as he spoke.

"I'm sure that Lord Vader would be extremely interested to learn that the Massan underground and the Hutts have secretly reinstated the slave trade," Micah mused, studying the anxious Massan carefully as he began to fidget nervously in front of him. "Considering that doing so on the outlying systems, without the Emperor's approval and proper taxation, is a violation of Imperial law."

"You will therefore take the prepayment sum that I've offered you, and you will wait patiently until I tell you that I'm ready for you to take the children and pay you the rest of your fee. Do you understand that?" he growled, glaring up at Ardenn as he fingered the hilt of his blaster pistol anxiously. "Or I'm afraid that Lord Vader might just find some additional information to his liking, specifically regarding this little interplanetary enterprise that you and the Hutts are involved in."

"Or would you rather deal with me here and now, and see just how far that gets you?" Micah said, a sarcastic smile crossing his chiseled face as he watched Ardenn study him quietly for a long moment.

"Very well," Ardenn said, a tone of utter disgust in his nervous voice as he reached out and swept the handful of credit off the table, tucking them securely in his pocket again. "How long will Ardenn have to wait before his agreement is to be satisfied, eh?"

"As long as it takes," Micah said, waving his hand as he turned and walked back around behind his desk. Ardenn watched him, in angry silence, as he sat down in his chair again, and then turned his back to him.

"Now get out," Micah said, without so much as a glance at the tall, angry Massan, as he propped his boots up on the edge of the table in front of him. "And don't let me hear from you again until I call for you, do you understand?"

Micah looked up, watching with a wary smile as Ardenn turned in a huff, and then strode out of his chambers, much faster than he had entered.

"Amazing how a newfound appreciation for the rules of engagement can put steam in a man's strides," he mused, leaning back in his chair as he pulled the small disk from his belt and looked at it, turning it slowly as it shimmered in the pale light.

"Engage transmitter," Micah said, reaching over and tapping the control pad of his console quickly with his fingers. "Let's see what our friend has to tell us about how their search is going," he muttered to himself, ice-green eyes narrowed to slits as they watched the transmitter's display search for a signal lock as he engaged the encryption system once more.

* * *

"Have you found anything yet, Dad?" Devan asked, glancing over at his father-in-law and watching him as he studied the small display that he held in his thick, calloused fingers. He looked back out toward the endless horizon that stretched before them, as they zipped along over the barren sands, the cold night air whipping through the open cockpit around them.

It could have been worse, he thought to himself, as he surveyed the barren sand; Tatooine's largest moon was in full bloom tonight, and its light bathed the landscape in a silver-blue glow. If there were any sand people or banthas about, at least they should be able to see them before it was too late.

"Well?" he asked, turning his attention back to his father-in-law again. "Anything at all?"

"I think so," Andar said, nodding his head firmly as he saw the bright yellow indicator flash on the display in his hands again. "It's an emergency beacon, and it's extremely weak, but it's on the same frequency that their distress call came in on," he said, narrowing his eyes as he held the small indicator up, orienting it with its internal compass, as his eyes scanned the horizon.

"There," Andar said, pointing over the speeder's windscreen toward the large, rocky outcropping that loomed just at the sandy horizon. "Forty degrees, that way, toward those rocks," he said, nodding his head again firmly as he looked over at Devan again.

"And step on it, boy," he said, watching as Devan pushed the speeder's throttle to its limits, as they topped another dune and headed down the smoothly slopping sand toward the next one. "I've got a bad feeling about all this.

* * *

"I've got something sir," the transport pilot said, glancing over his shoulder toward the crew cabin behind him, his hollow, tinny voice resonating through the voicebox of his helmet as the Imperial troop transport skimmed along over the empty sand.

"What is it, pilot?" Captain Daynar said, stepping up quickly and taking hold of the transport railing just above his head, the hilt of his blaster rifle held tightly in the other.

"A small transport of some kind," the pilot replied, gesturing toward the tactical radar display beside him. "Moving fast, one hundred seventy three degrees ahead of us, thirteen kilometers," he said, looking back up at his captain again.

"Plot an intercept course," Daynar replied, nodding his helmeted head firmly as he watched the pilot steer the transport on a direct intercept course toward the indicator that flashed on the radar beside them.

"Remember, I want them taken alive if possible," Captain Daynar barked, his hollow voice echoing through the crew cabin as he turned to the troopers behind him. He turned his eyes back toward the transport's window again, watching the sand as it whipped along below them; he wanted them, whoever they were. And he was bound and determined to find them.

* * *

Anakin opened his eyes; he'd been dozing, albeit very lightly, and he had awakened instantly as he suddenly heard Artoo's excited whistle echo loudly off the rocky walls around them. He sat up quickly, glancing over at Threepio as he did so, just as his droid's yellow eyes suddenly flashed brightly.

"What'd he say, Threepio?" Anakin asked, reaching over and placing his right hand reassuringly on Padmé's leg as he sensed her alarm; she'd instantly sensed his own concern, and it'd pulled her from the deep slumber she'd been enjoying up until this moment.

"What is it, Ani?" Padmé asked, sleepily, as she took a deep breath and reached deeply into the Force, trying desperately to shake off the haze of sleep that still hung heavy over her, as she reached down instinctively and pulled her Jedi weapon from her belt.

"Artoo says that there's a small transport approaching from the northeast," Threepio replied, quite excitedly, as he stood up and began to shuffle toward them, as best he could over the uneven, rocky terrain.

"Stay with the children, Threepio," Anakin said, as he and Padmé quickly placed Luke and Leia's small, sleeping forms gently on the ground behind the large boulder; he stood up, as quickly as he could, and then took Padmé's hand and helped her up beside him.

"We'll be back in a few minutes," he said, as he and Padmé started to run toward the narrow path that led to where Artoo waited above them. Threepio watched, as Anakin paused only for an instant, stretching out his hand toward the field range glasses that lay on the ground near their things.

"But, Master Ani," Threepio replied, his electronic voice laced with worry as he watched the glasses leap into the air and fly into Anakin's outstretched hand. "What should I do if..."

"Just stay put, Threepio," Padmé said, cutting him off as she stopped and looked back at him; Threepio stood silently, as he watched her point the hilt of her light saber directly toward him. "You keep an eye on my children," she said, a fierce, determined look on her usually calm, peaceful face. "Understood?"

Threepio stood silently for a long moment, as he saw the fierce, determined fire that flashed in Padmé's eyes. "Understood clearly, my lady," he finally replied obediently, as he watched the two Jedi turn and bolt up the narrow path to the cliff above.

* * *

"Can you see anything?" Padmé asked, as she crouched on the rocky hilltop beside Anakin. She narrowed her eyes, looking out across the moonlit, silver-tinted landscape; she could make out the dust trail that billowed from behind the small vehicle as it sped across the barren landscape toward them.

"Gimme just a sec," Anakin said, as he adjusted the range on the field glasses he held up to his eyes. Padmé watched him, quite apprehensively, as he swung the glasses quickly across the landscape and attempted to track the quickly moving vessel.

Padmé rolled the hilt of her weapon over nervously in her hand, as she watched Anakin track the vessel across the landscape. "Well?" she asked, trying as hard as she could to mask the apprehension in her voice. "Can you make out who it is?"

Padmé felt a welcome sense of relief, as she suddenly saw the smile that spread quickly across her husband's face. "Yeah," he said, as he suddenly saw the silver-haired, portly gentleman that sat in the passenger's seat of the small speeder.

"It's Andar," he said, looking back at Padmé with a grin and watching as she closed her eyes and took a long, relieved breath, as Artoo's excited, relieved whistle chimed in with her in perfect harmony. "He'll be here in a few minutes."

* * *

"You're late," Anakin shouted with a grin, as he and Padmé trotted up to the speeder as Devan cut its engines, sending a large cloud of dust into the air around them.

"Anakin, that's awful," Padmé said, elbowing him firmly in his ribs as she trotted up to the speeder beside him. "Don't pay any attention to him, Mister Gandh," she said, smiling almost as brightly as Anakin was as she patted him firmly on his stout, heavy shoulders.

"Well, better late than never, especially in situations such as this," Andar replied with a wide grin, as he took Anakin's hand and shook it tightly. "By the sands of Angelis, I'm relieved to see you both," he grunted, releasing Anakin's hand and climbing out of the speeder, with no little amount of effort.

"Not nearly as relieved as we are to see you," Padmé said, as she hugged him tightly. "We were beginning to wonder if you'd gotten out message," she said, looking back at him with a relieved smile as she released him from her embrace.

"Oh, p'shaw, not to worry," Andar chuckled, proudly bouncing the small display in his hand as Anakin and Padmé looked down at it. "I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve, even if I am getting to be an old man," he replied, reaching over and taking Devan's arm, as he walked around the speeder to join them.

"Anakin, Padmé, I'd like you to meet my son-in-law, Devan," Andar said proudly, as he watched Devan extend his hand to the young Jedi Knight. "This is the young man who's won the hand of my lovely Tayja."

"Hello," Devan said, taking Anakin's hand and shaking it firmly. "I've heard a lot about you both," he said, as he took Padmé's hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm glad we found you both before the sand people did," he sighed, releasing Padmé's hand and quickly surveying the rocky terrain around them.

"The sand people use these natural paths through these hills all the time," he said, looking back at Anakin and watching as he nodded his head firmly in agreement. "It's a miracle you haven't run into any of them yet."

"We were thinking the same thing," Anakin replied. "I don't really want to press our luck, either," he said, turning his attention back to Andar again. "I think I'd feel a lot better if we got out of here, as quickly as we could."

"I heartily agree with you," Andar replied, nodding his his head firmly. "Where are the little ones?" he asked, glancing back over toward the rocky outcropping just behind them.

"They're asleep, over there, with Threepio," Padmé said, gesturing toward their silver-clad droid that stood a short distance from them.

"Well, let's get them loaded up, and be on our way out of here, before our luck runs out," Andar replied, patting Anakin securely on the shoulder as they started toward the small, secluded area where they'd taken shelter. "You and Devan can load up the droids," he said, slapping the speeder's rear deck firmly as they walked around it. "They're some heavy straps in the utility tray, shouldn't be much of a task to get them secured, and Padmé and I will tend to the little ones and get the rest of your things."

"Sounds good," Anakin nodded, turning his attention to Threepio and Artoo, as they stood watching a short distance away. "You heard the man," he said, gesturing toward the speeder with his thumb as he watched Devan open the utility compartment in the speeder's rear quarter panel. "Let's move, double time," he said, as Artoo and Threepio began to make their way toward him. "I've had enough cool evening air for one night."

* * *

"That ought to do it," Devan grunted, as he tugged the heavy strap that bound Artoo to the deck of the speeder one last time. "I don't think we'll lose either of them," he said, turning his attention to the tall, silver droid that sat on the speeder next to Artoo as he turned his yellow eyes toward him.

"I sincerely hope not," Threepio said, watching as Anakin and Devan exchanged a smile.

"Don't worry, Threepio," Anakin replied, slapping his silver friend securely on the shoulder. "You'll be fine," he said, as he and Devan started over toward the rocks where Padmé and Andar waited for them.

"I think that's about it," Anakin sighed, as he and Devan ducked their heads and stepped under the rocky overhang where they'd taken shelter a few hours earlier. "Are they still asleep?" he asked, turning his attention back to Padmé as she knelt on the hard ground beside Luke and Leia.

"I think so," Padmé replied, as she turned and looked at her two sleeping children. "They're both pretty tired. They've been through a lot today," she said, looking back at Anakin again. "The sooner we can get them indoors and out of this cold, the better I'll..."

Padmé stopped in mid sentence, as she suddenly heard Artoo's anxious, excited whistle echo through the narrow cavern.

"What he all upset about?" she asked, as she and Anakin exchanged a puzzled glance.

"I'm not sure," Anakin replied; he took a step toward the speeder, as Threepio suddenly began to speak.

"Master Ani!" Threepio cried, waving his arms excitedly. "Artoo says that there are..."

Padmé cried out, as the bright orange laser blast struck the rock wall just inches from Anakin's head; instinctively, she flung herself behind the large rocks that lined the overhang where they had taken shelter, placing herself between her children and the angry weapons fire.

"Anakin!" she called frantically, as he dove behind the rocks beside them, grimacing with pain as he clutched the side of his face and knelt beside her. "Anakin, are you all right?" she asked again, reaching up and gently pulling his hand away from the side of his face.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he replied, a little painfully, as he blinked his left eye several times. "A piece of hot rock got me, that's all," he said, nodding reassuringly as he looked into her worried face.

"It's bleeding a little," he said, looking down at the blood on his fingers. "But it'll be fine."

They all cringed again, as another several blasts struck the wall behind them. "Damn," Devan said, looking back at Anakin as the two of them exchanged glances. "Looks like our luck ran out a little sooner than we needed it to," he said, as he looked out cautiously over the top of the boulder they were hiding behind.

"I was afraid of that," Anakin sighed, as he peered out from behind the rock along with him; he sighed, very deeply, as he saw movement from the rocks down below.

"What are they, sand people?" Padmé asked, as she saw the deeply concerned expression that spread over her husband's face.

"Worse," Anakin replied, shaking his head slowly as he caught sight of the flash of white armor in the bright moonlight. "Imperial troops," he said, looking back at Padmé, Devan, and Andar again.

"Imperials?" Andar gasped, shaking his head in disbelief. "What in the world would Imperial troops be doing out here in the middle of the desert?" he asked, as he reached down and pulled out the small blaster pistol his daughter had given him only a short while before.

"It's a long story," Anakin sighed, as he and Padmé exchanged a long, troubled glance. "And we don't have time to go into it now," he said, ducking back behind the rock again as another couple of laser blasts struck the wall around them, sending another hot shower of stone and sparks raining down on them.

Padmé watched him, as he glanced back out at the rock-strewn path that stretched below them. "How many are there?" she asked, as she knelt beside him, peering carefully over the top of the huge boulder in front of them.

"Hard to tell," Anakin said, shaking his head slowly. "At least six, maybe more," he said; he sat there quietly, for a long moment, and then turned his eyes back to Padmé's again, his mind racing frantically, as he tried to figure out what they would need to do to get out of this little situation. He could hear Yoda's words, as he knelt there, as clearly as he had when he had last spoken to him.

_Imperative it is, that you take your padawan with you on this mission, Anakin," Yoda had told him. "Strong with the Force, she has become. Her help you will need, to solve this mystery._

He looked at her for a long moment, gazing deeply into those dark brown eyes that he loved so much, as Yoda's words echoed through his mind.

He would have sat there for much longer, had it not been for the powerful barrage of laser fire that bounced off the stones around them. "We'll handle this," he said, reaching down and pulling one of his sabers from his vest, glancing back at Padmé and watching as she drew her own from her belt. "Get out of here," he said, turning his eyes back to Andar and Devan again.

"How?" Devan asked, glancing down the hillside at the group of troopers that made their way up the rocks toward them. "They'll pick us off the moment we make a run for the speeder."

"Padmé and I will draw the troopers off," Anakin said, as they crouched behind the large boulder; he cringed, as another blast sent a shower of sparks and rocky shards cascading over them again.

"As soon as we do," Anakin continued, nodding his head firmly and cutting Andar off as he started to protest, "I want you to take Luke and Leia and get to the speeder," he said, watching as Andar scooped Leia up into his arms. "Don't stop until you get there.

We'll cover you."

"What about you two?" Andar asked, glancing over at Padmé; he could see the deeply troubled look on her face, as she watched Devan scoop Luke up into his arms in like fashion.

"Don't worry about us," Anakin replied, glancing back over the large, jagged boulder and watching as the group of troopers continued to press their way up the rocky path. "We'll catch up."

"Just take care of our children, okay, Andar?" he said, turning his determined face back to their stout friend again.

"You two be careful," Andar said, cringing as another laser blast struck the rocky wall near them. "I've got enough orphans to care for now as it is," he said, a troubled, worried expression on his face. "It would break my heart, indeed, if I had to take in two more."

"Are you ready?" Anakin asked, turning his attention to Padmé again, as she crouched behind the rock beside him.

"Yes," she replied, nodding her head firmly as she squeezed her weapon tightly in her hand.

"All right," Anakin replied, watching Padmé as she closed her eyes for a moment and took a long, deep breath; he could feel her strong tremor in the Force, as it began to flow through her. "We'll go in together. I'll take the left, you take the right. On three."

Padmé squeezed the hilt of her weapon tightly in her hand, as she opened her eyes again. She gazed into Anakin's, and their eyes locked as he began to count, very slow. "One... Two..."

* * *

"This is crazy," Devan groaned, shaking his head as he scooped Luke up into his arms, watching as Anakin and Padmé both bolted out from behind the rocks and into the midst of the hail of laser fire. "There's only two of them. What chance have they got against those Imperial troops?" he asked, turning his worried eyes back to his father-law-again.

"There, there, little one," Andar said, calmly and reassuringly, as he lifted Leia into his arms; she was crying, quite uncontrollably, as she looked about frantically for her mother and father. "No, worries, now," he shushed, pulling his jacket tight around her as he crouched low at Devan's side. "They'll be back in a few moments, I promise."

"You've never seen a Jedi in action, before, I take it," Andar said, glancing back at his son-in-law again. "Believe me, boy," he said, as he rose quickly to his large, boot-clad feet, clutching Leia tightly, his eyes quickly surveying the distance between them and their waiting speeder. "It's those accursed Imperials that I pity, and you should, too," he said, turning his gray head quickly back to Devan again. "Come on, let's go," he said, and, crouching as low as they could, he and Devan both sprinted out from the shelter of the rocks toward the speeder.

Andar's breath came in short bursts; he wasn't as young as he used to be, and it was no small effort, running across the rugged, rock strewn sand, especially with a child in his arms. He looked back over his shoulder, clutching Leia's small, crying body close to his, as he watched Anakin and Padmé both leap out into the midst of the narrow pass behind them, their weapons instantly blazing to life as they placed themselves directly between the speeder and the Imperial soldiers who continued to press their way toward them.

They both paused for a moment, panting heavily, as they reached the waiting vehicle. Devan turned and watched, with a sense of nervous awe and wonder, as the blond-haired Jedi Knight and his apprentice began to swing their blades quickly, turning back the angry orange blasts with effortless precision.

"Damn," he gasped, watching as Padmé swung her blade up over her head and sent one of the blasts back into the chest of the trooper who'd fired it. "She's good. Are all Jedi that quick?" he asked, his stout father-in-law nodding his head nervously as another several laser blasts whizzed over their heads and crashed into the stone walls nearby, sending another hail of sparks raining down near them.

"You have no idea, my boy," Andar said, nudging him nervously as Devan stood up and quickly placed Luke into the back seat of the speeder. "Hurry, now, no time for sightseeing," he continued, placing Leia into Devan's hands in like fashion, and then scurrying around quickly to the passenger's side. "Get this speeder powered up and ready to get these children to safety!"

Andar climbed quickly into the passenger's seat; he turned and looked back behind them, and then placed his hand on Devan's shoulder as he hopped in beside him. "Hold us here a minute or two, boy," he said, as he watched the angry troopers begin to rush the two Jedi, pressing their offensive. "Let's wait until the last possible minute. This may not take as long as we thought."

* * *

Anakin's brilliant white blade lit up the rocky ground beneath his boots, as he brought it up smoothly in front of him, sending another laser blast careening back directly into the helmet of the trooper who'd fired it a second before. "Correct me if I'm wrong," he said, quite calmly, glancing back at his wife as the unfortunate Imperial went flying into the hard stone wall behind him. "But weren't these guys supposed to be fighting with us, and not against us, when all of this got started?" he asked, watching as she turned several more blasts away as she moved smoothly along beside him.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Padmé replied, gritting her teeth as she turned her attention immediately toward the trooper who lunged at them from the rocks just to her right; she spun on her heels, following the direction of the Force that flowed through her; her blade spun smoothly at her side as she whipped it around in a smooth arc and brought the dark blue, humming shaft of energy down with lightning speed, neatly severing the barrel of the trooper's rifle in a blaze of angry sparks.

She could have killed him instantly, Anakin knew that. Indeed, all it would have taken was a quick backward swing of her weapon, and the trooper would have only been half the man he'd been a moment before. He knew, deep down, that when he had been Obi-Wan's padawan not so long ago, that that was exactly what would have happened; yet he watched, with a sense of profound pride and admiration, as Padmé's maturity and restraint won out over her desire to lash out at their attackers, and she reached into the Force and stretched out her hand toward him.

It was a rule that had been passed down through the ages, and Padmé had learned it well; the taking of a life, whether foe or not, was something that was to be avoided at all costs, unless absolutely necessary, and especially when one's adversary was unarmed. A relentless attacker was one thing, but one who found himself recoiling in fear, as this trooper was now, was another matter entirely. It was a thin line, a difficult one to walk, especially in the heat of battle; yet Padmé's past, and her devotion and dedication to serving others, helped to reinforce the lesson that the Force, and Anakin, had taught her.

"Have a seat," she growled, as she felt the trooper's body through the Force; he felt like nothing more than a rag doll, as she pushed with all of her might, sending him flying back into the rocky wall behind him with incredible force.

"Nice," Anakin quipped, quite calmly, as the two of them exchanged a quick glance. "Only four left," he said, his sharp eyes quickly detecting the remaining troopers, as they dug in behind the rocks just ahead of them.

"Make that two," Padmé corrected, gesturing toward the two that suddenly turned and bolted down the path back toward the transport that waited below. "They're heading back to the ship," she said, as she turned aside another angry bolt of energy, as effortlessly as Anakin had a second before.

He knew that he could have stopped them easily; yet, deep down in his heart, he heard the quiet urging of the Force, as he glanced over at his wife again for a split second. Everything happened for a reason, including the situation that they now found themselves in, and he was beginning to understand why, and the mysterious wisdom of the Force behind it.

"I'll take these two," Anakin said, turning aside several more laser blasts and nodding toward the two troopers nearest them, as they continued to fire from their position amid the rocks. "Go stop them," he said, glancing back at Padmé again. "We don't want them to call in any reinforcements."

Anakin swallowed hard, fighting back the urge to stop her, to call her back, as he felt that sharp pain in his heart again, the same one he'd felt at home, before they'd left. Yet he knew, deep down inside him, that he'd done what he had to, for her sake as well as his, and he watched as, without any hesitation at all, Padmé bolted down the narrow path with lightning speed, her weapon glowing brightly in her hand as she closed quickly on the two fleeing troopers.

It was part of her trial, a challenge that they both had to face, and he knew they had to face it together. As his padawan, her challenge was to trust the Force, and its guidance, as it led her toward her destiny; as her master and mentor, Anakin's was to trust her, and her abilities, as he let her follow that destiny, to wherever it might lead them.

"I don't envy those two," he sighed, his blade humming loudly as he gripped it's hilt tightly in his hands and watched his soul mate, his wife, his padawan, disappear quickly down the path below them. There was no doubt about it, he thought with a deep sigh, as he sent another laser blast back into the rocks near his boots with barely an effort at all, turning his steel-hard eyes back to the two troopers who cowered in the rocks just a dozen meters from him.

It was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

* * *

She came, quite literally, from out of nowhere; the two troopers froze in their steps, sliding to a stop through the moonlit dust that their boots kicked up, as the slender, agile young Jedi suddenly leapt in front of them, placing herself directly between them and their transport.

"Leaving already?" Padmé panted, holding her weapon tightly in her hands, its cobalt-blue blade casting an eerie blue glow over her face as she swung it up in front of her. "We won't here of it," she said, as she watched the troopers quickly raise their weapons and rush at her.

Padmé ducked quickly, as the surprised trooper nearest her swung the stock of his weapon directly at her head; she dropped down onto the cold, course sand, balancing herself on her right hand and leg, as she swung her left up with remarkable force, right into his chest plate. The trooper cried out in agony, as his armor, and his ribs, gave way under the force of her boot, and he was sent flying back onto the ground, fumbling in pain for his rifle.

Padmé extinguished the blade of her weapon, as she threw herself backwards and rolled once across the sand; with a quick, smooth motion, she tossed her cloak from her shoulders as she leapt to her feet, powering up her saber again just in time to catch the brilliant orange blast from the remaining clone trooper's blaster. She turned it harmlessly aside into the sand, sending a plume of molten, glowing silica into the air between them, and, as he rushed her, she swung her weapon around smoothly, as the trooper cried out in anger.

An eerie silence filled the cold night air, as Padmé's brilliant blue blade passed neatly just below the trooper's face place, sending his helmet, with his head still inside it, falling to the cold sand. She never looked back at him, nor did she watch as his body slumped to the ground; she spun quickly, turning her blade toward his companion as he screamed angrily and fired at her from his place in the sand, over and over again. She moved her weapon smoothly in front of her, the Force guiding her hands, as the shimmering cobalt shaft of energy turned the angry orange bolts from his weapon back toward him. The trooper's cries fell silent, as the first blast took his weapon cleanly from his gloved hand, and, a split second later, the next took his life... just as cleanly.

It had all transpired in an instant, yet to her, time seemed to have passed as slowly as a Deltonian slugworm. Padmé stood silently for a moment; the air was still again, except for the soft hum of her saber, as she quickly surveyed the two fallen troopers that lay at her feet. She glanced back at her weapon again, narrowing her eyes in the brilliant blue glow; she swallowed hard and closed her eyes, as, with a quick touch of her thumb on the igniter switch, her blade fell silent with a smooth rush, as it disappeared back into the smooth, harmless-looking cylinder.

She reached into the Force, as deeply as she could, as she tried to calm the mix of emotions she felt welling up inside her. She glanced back at the two lifeless bodies that lay at her feet once more and, knowing what had to be done, she turned and ran up the ramp into the small transport.

She dropped quickly into the pilot's seat and, her fingers flying over the controls, she brought the ship's main plasma injectors online. "Five minutes, at the most," she sighed, reaching up and brushing her long brown hair behind her ear as she locked the injectors at full power, forcing them into overload. She stood up and, quickly igniting the blade of her weapon, she drove its shimmering blue tip cleanly through the control panel and, surveying the smoking, sparking console for just a second or two, she turned and bolted back down the ramp, past her fallen adversaries, and back up the path to where Anakin and the others waited for her.

* * *

She had only made it halfway up when she saw Anakin running to meet her, his weapon still glowing brightly in his hand, just like her own. "We've got to get out of here," Padmé panted, quickly extinguishing her weapon as she ran up to him. "The engines are on overload, and they're going to go critical in less than five minutes."

"Come on," Anakin said with a nod, as he nudged her up the path toward the waiting speeder. "Andar's waiting for us at the top of the ridge," he said, as they both ran quickly up the rocky path, side by side. "Let's put some distance between us and that reactor before it goes up."

* * *

"Thank the maker!" Threepio cried, waving his arms frantically from his place on the rear of the speeder, as he saw Anakin and Padmé both top the hill, running quickly toward them. "Bless my circuits, I'm so pleased to see you both unharmed," he said, his electronic eyes shining brightly as he watched the two of them leap effortlessly onto the back of the waiting, idling transport.

"I'll second that sentiment," Andar sighed, quite visibly relieved, as he watched the two Jedi return their weapons to their belts. "Are you two all right?"

"No time," Anakin panted, shaking his head firmly as he and Padmé dropped down quickly into the back seat of the speeder, on either side of Luke and Leia. "The reactor on that transport is going to blow in less than four minutes," he said, as Andar and Devan exchanged a worried glance. "How much distance can we put between us and it before it does?"

"Let's find out," Devan said, turning his determined face back to the path ahead of them as he took hold of the speeder's throttle. "Everybody hold tight," he said, as he shoved the control yoke forward as far as it would go and, with a burst of plasma and leaving a huge plume of sand and dust in their wake, they sped off down the path toward the open sand that waited below.

* * *

Padmé clutched Leia's small body close to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as the concussion wave struck the speeder. "It's okay, Leia," she whispered, as her daughter cried out in fear as the speeder rocked wildly across the barren sand, as Devan fought to keep it under control.

"We're okay," Devan called, his own voice trembling as he managed to reign the careening vehicle back in, just as it threatened to overturn itself. "Is everybody all right back there?" he asked, glancing back over his shoulder toward the back seat.

"I think so," Anakin sighed, glancing over at Padmé and watching as she nodded her head, visibly shaken, as she clutched his crying little daughter tightly in her lap. "Geez," he said, looking back at the huge orange plume that rose into the dark Tatooine sky behind them. "I'd forgotten how big the reactors in those clone transports were."

"Do you think that blast will bring in any more troops, Anakin?" Andar asked, as he and the young Jedi exchanged a troubled glance.

"Probably so," Anakin said, nodding his head slowly. "But we left the transponder behind," he said, as he and Padmé looked at each other quietly for a moment. "We've got a head start on them, and there's not much for them to follow. With a little luck," he sighed, reaching up and running his fingers through his hair as he held Luke tightly with the other, "we'll be long gone before they get here."

"How far are we from your compound?" Padmé asked, turning her attention away from her daughter for just a moment.

"About forty five minutes," Devan called, over the sound of the wind that whipped through the cockpit around them. "Maybe a little less, I'm not entirely sure. I haven't come out this far before, but it shouldn't take us too long to get back."

"Don't worry, my dear," Andar said, smiling at her reassuringly as he placed his arm on the back of his seat. "We'll have you and your little ones safe indoors in no time."

"I hope so," Padmé sighed, closing her eyes again as she laid her head gently on Leia's. "I don't know how much more of this they can take," she said, glancing back over at Anakin again as the two of them exchanged a quiet look. "And I'm not so sure about their mother right now, either," she whispered, very softly, as she reached out to him with her feelings.

Andar watched them, as they held tightly to their children as they zipped across the barren, moonlit sand. He couldn't even begin to imagine what they'd been through, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. He knew full well that their lives must have been turned upside down by this whole nasty affair, and had been, since he had first met them and taken in the handful of children that Anakin and Obi-Wan had saved that terrible night so long ago. He started to speak, yet he stopped, as he thought better of it; he sighed, quite deeply, as he turned back around in his seat as Devan steered them across the barren Jundland wastes, toward the safe haven of his compound that waited for them in the distance.

He knew that what he had to tell them when they got there was only going to make things much, much worse.

* * *

For the most part, the remainder of the trip back had been a quiet one, thankfully, and Padmé gazed out at the bright, welcoming lights of Andar's compound with a profound sense of relief, as Devan steered the speeder quickly through the narrow pass and toward the front gates.

She had only seen it once, and it had been quite some time since that day, yet she was instantly reminded of why Anakin and Obi-Wan had chosen this place to conceal the children. It was a massive structure, nestled cleanly and inconspicuously in the center of a small valley, and the compound's walled perimeter exuded a sense of strength and security, something that gave her tired, worried heart more than just a little comfort, as she glanced down at her frightened little daughter. All she wanted to do right now was hide herself and her family, to withdraw as far away from the troops, the sand people, and the cold night air as they could.

She looked back up at the massive, rocky hills that rose into the clear Tatooine sky all around the compound, as Devan steered them through the gate at its entrance; the entire place seemed to offer a significant hope that, at least for a short while, they might be able to do that.

The speeder's engines began to wind down, as Devan pulled back on the throttle and guided them toward the brightly lit front entrance of the house. Padmé looked back over at Anakin, as she suddenly heard Luke's small voice, for the first time since they'd hidden themselves in the rocks, as he sat quietly in his father's lap. "Is Mommy okay?" he asked, very softly, as he looked up at his father, clinging tightly to Anakin's strong arms.

She felt the sting of a tear deep behind her eyes, as she shifted her eyes from Anakin, to Luke, and back again several times, as they both gazed quietly at her, a look of deep concern in on both of their faces.

"Mommy's just tired, baby," she whispered, nodding her head slowly and smiling weakly at him, as she reached over and brushed her fingers gently through Luke's shaggy blond hair. "And I know you are too, aren't you, sweetheart?" she asked, her smile brightening as she watched him close his eyes and yawn, very deeply.

"Uh,huh," he said, nodding his head slowly as he gazed back up at her from the security of his father's arms. Padmé shifted her gaze back to her husband, as she felt his hand fall gently on hers as she laid it on the padded seat beside him.

She didn't have to say anything; her heart did all the talking, told him everything she needed him to know in that one instant, as she gazed up at him through a haze of tears that she fought desperately to control. She was exhausted, mentally, emotionally, and physically, yet she wasn't really sure what it was that gnawed at her, that unsettled her so deeply, as she glanced over toward the front of the compound, watching as Andar's daughter opened the massive, heavy doors and ran out to meet them.

Anakin knew, instinctively, that it wasn't just exhaustion, or what they'd been through this evening that was troubling her. He squeezed her hand, very gently, as he watched her smile silently at him once again, as the speeder came to a smooth stop in front of the main steps.

"Come on, squirt," Anakin said, looking at his son with a smile as he hefted him into his arms and stood up, watching quietly as Andar's daughter rushed up to greet Padmé and Leia. "I think you've had enough cold air for one night," he said, sitting down on the side of the speeder and, swinging his legs over it, dropped down quickly onto the cold sand, bouncing Luke roughly in his arms. He smiled back at him, reaching up under the blanket he was wrapped in and tussling his hair playfully. "Don't you think?"

"Well, he seems to be none the worse for wear," Devan sighed, stepping up to Anakin's side as he watched Luke laugh and push his father's hand away playfully.

"Oh, nothing bothers this one for very long," Anakin chuckled, as he bounced Luke in his arms again. "He's tough," he said, looking back at his son with a grin. "Aren't you, buddy?"

"Why don't you take him on inside with the others, Anakin, and I'll take care of the droids," Devan said, glancing over and watching as Andar and Tayja helped Padmé and Leia out of the speeder. "I'll take the speeder around back and have them unloaded in a couple of minutes, and then I'll join you."

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Anakin asked, as he glanced over at his droids. "Threepio's not so bad, but Artoo's pretty heavy," he said, smiling as he heard the string of somewhat disgusted whistles and clicks that emanated from his little astrodroid.

"Don't worry, I can use the lift in the main garage," Devan replied, nodding his head as he hopped back into the speeder's front seat. "I'll send them in soon as I get them unloaded."

"Give him a hand with Artoo, Threepio," Anakin said, walking quickly around the back of the speeder as Devan started it up again. "We'll be inside. You see if Padmé needs any help when you get in, okay?"

"Of course, Master Ani," Threepio replied obediently. "I'll be quite happy to, since I'm afraid I'm rather tired of being strapped to this transport like a useless piece of luggage."

"And you come find me, Artoo," Anakin called over his shoulder, as he headed up the stairs behind Padmé and the others. "I'm going to need your help in a little while."

Artoo whistled loudly in reply, as Devan throttled up the speeder and began to take them around back to the garage. He swung his dome back toward his metal friend, as he lay there on his back, the heavy straps still binding him securely to the tranport's rear deck.

Threepio watched silently, as Anakin and the others disappeared into the front door of Andar's estate. He looked up, somewhat startled, as he heard a strange howl, far off in the distance.

"Oh, my," he sighed, looking back at his little blue friend. "I'd forgotten how much I disliked this dreadful planet," he said, shaking his head slowly as they disappeared around the corner and into the garage.

* * *

"You don't know how relieved we are to see you," Tayja said, returning Padmé's smile as they walked through the doorway and into the brightly lit, ornate hallway. "When we got your droid's distress call, we were afraid things had gone from bad to worse."

"Well, they had, for a while there," Padmé sighed, lowering Leia down to the floor in front of her. "It's okay, sweetheart," she said, crouching down and caressing her daughter's cheek gently as she whimpered again, and reached out her arms toward her. "We're safe now," she said, smiling at her reassuringly. She stood back up, somewhat slowly, as Leia wrapped her arms around her leg and held her tightly.

"Somebody doesn't want her mother to wander off," Tayja said with a smile, as she stepped behind Padmé and helped her slip off her cloak.

"Yes, she's a little clingy right now," Padmé sighed, looking back at Tayja with a tired smile as she watched her fold her cloak neatly over her arm. "She's frightened, and she's just tired, they both are," she said, glancing back over her shoulder and watching as Anakin and Luke stepped through the door behind them. "They've been through a lot since we left home."

"Well, we've already got a guest room prepared for you," Tayja replied with a firm nod, as Andar pushed the heavy door closed behind them, the sound echoing off the stone walls around them. "Perhaps a hot bath and a little something warm to drink or eat will be just what they need to feel a little more at home," she said, watching as Padmé reached down and hoisted Leia back up into her arms again.

"That sounds wonderful," Padmé said, smiling gratefully at her new hostess. "You don't know how much we appreciate this, Tayja, and everything you've all done," she said, a deeply thankful expression on her tired, yet lovely face, as Leia snuggled her head against her shoulder. "I don't know what we'd have done if we hadn't been able to find you."

"Well, that's all ancient history now," Andar piped up, slipping his arms out of his coat and tossing it onto one of the hooks that hung near the doorway. "The good thing is, you're safe now, and will be for as long as necessary," he said, as he stepped behind Anakin and began to help him slip off his cloak.

"The perimeter wall is fortified, with computer controlled laser cannons minding the area a full three hundred sixty degrees," he said, tossing Padmé a reassuring smile. "You're as safe here as you are at home, I assure you," he said, reaching up and patting young Luke's shoulder, as he grinned out at Andar's portly, friendly face.

"Anakin," Tayja said, walking up to him and holding her hands out to Luke, "Why don't you let me take him, and I'll go help Padmé get the children settled," she said. "I'm sure that there's quite a bit you and Father need to talk about," she said, as she and her father exchanged a glance.

"That's not a bad idea," Anakin said, looking back at Luke with a smile. "You want to go with her, and Mommy, and go get cleaned up?"

Padmé watched, as Luke nodded his head and went, quite willingly, into Tayja's outstretched arms. "We won't be long," Anakin said, as Padmé nodded her head firmly. "I'll try to get in touch with Owen, too, and let them know we're all right."

"Good," Padmé replied, as Tayja walked over to join her, smiling at Luke as he grinned back at her, quite sheepishly. "They've got enough to worry about with Shanda, I don't want them worrying about us, too."

"Don't be long, okay?" Padmé called over her shoulder, as she and Tayja started to walk slowly down the long, ornate hallway.

"I won't, I promise," Anakin replied quietly, as their eyes met in the soft light of the lanterns that lined the hallway; he heard the quiet, silent message that she willed to him, as clearly as if she'd spoken it aloud.

_I need you._

He watched her, for a long moment, as Tayja led her and their children down the hallway, making pleasant conversation as they went. "Thank you, Andar," Anakin said quietly after a long pause, as they watched the girls disappear around the corner.

"For what, my boy?" Andar asked, looking at Anakin curiously as he stood there quietly beside him, watching the young Jedi as he gazed quietly and thoughtfully down the hallway where his wife and children had gone only a moment before.

"Your kindness," Anakin replied, looking back at him with a grateful smile. "And your family's."

"The Jedi owe you a lot," Anakin sighed, nodding his head slowly, as he watched Andar wave his hand and shake his head firmly. "And now I do, too."

"You owe me nothing, my boy," Andar replied, placing his hand on Anakin's shoulder, as the two of them began to walk slowly toward the small hallway adjacent to the main one. "Just consider the things that we've been able to do a small repayment of the debt owed by the entire galaxy," he said, looking back at Anakin with a smile. "Ben tries to thank me every time he sees me, and I keep telling him the same thing," he chuckled, as he pushed the door open as they reached it.

"Speaking of Obi-Wan," Anakin sighed, as his thoughts shifted to more troubling matters, "What can you tell me about the last time you saw them?"

"Much," Andar said, as they stepped through the doorway; he closed the door behind him, and then gestured down the long hall ahead of them. "Let's go down to my study," he said, as they began to walk quickly toward the door at the far end. "There's a lot I need to share with you."

* * *

"This pilot they were going to meet," Anakin said, studying the image of the tall, slender, bearded man intently as he sat on the corner of Andar's large wooden desk. "What'd you say his name was?"

"His name's Antilles," Andar replied, leaning back in his chair as he propped his boots up on the edge of his desk. "Jagged Antilles, to be precise," he said, turning his round race back to Anakin as the young Jedi regarded him with keen interest. "He's a likable fellow, a family man, much like yourself," he said with a smile, as Anakin turned his eyes back to the image on the small datapad in his hands again. "Corellian chap. Owns and operates a small spaceport and fueling depot called Gus Treta, not far from here, actually."

"Do you trust him?" Anakin asked, turning his eyes back to his stout friend again.

"Implicitly, and so does Mon Mothma," Andar replied, nodding his head firmly. "He's as upright a fellow as you'd ever find, very dependable, and very sympathetic to this little rebellion that Senator Mothma's been fostering," he said, as Anakin nodded his head slowly, listening intently. "Has a lovely young wife, Zena, I believe, is her name, and a young lad about the same age as your two," he said, picking up the small bowl full of fruit near him and offering it to Anakin.

"He's helped us on several occasions," Andar continued, placing the bowl back down on the table as Anakin took a handful of the small, date-like fruits he'd offered him. "We've never had a bit of trouble, and, short of Senator Mothma and the Jedi, like yourself, he's probably the only other person in the galaxy who knows where most of these children are hiding."

"And he says that Obi-Wan and Shanda never made it to the rendezvous point?" Anakin asked, placing the small datapad on the desk beside him and popping a couple of the small, sweet fruits into his mouth.

"Never did, which alarmed him right off," Andar replied, nodding firmly. "Ben and Shanda have never been late, not more than a moment or two, and when they didn't show after an hour he called me, and we tried to backtrack and find them," he said, turning his worried face back to Anakin again. "We couldn't find any trace of them, and that's when Owen and Beru decided that we needed to call you."

"Did Obi-Wan say anything about taking a different route, anything at all that might help us figure out where he was going?" Anakin asked; he sighed, quite deeply, as he watched Andar shake his head, forlornly.

"Not a word," Andar sighed. "We checked everything, and we couldn't find any trace or hint that they were doing anything different. Shanda's usually pretty good about telling Beru where they'll be, and when they'll return, even though she's not supposed to," he said, as Anakin nodded his head. "Beru would have known if they were deviating from the plan in any way."

"So, all we can assume," Anakin sighed, shaking his head as he folded his arms thoughtfully across his chest, "is that it was a routine dropoff that went bad."

Anakin frowned, as he suddenly sensed Padmé's familiar tremor in his heart; she was calling to him, looking for him. "We'll have to talk more about this in the morning, Andar," Anakin said, hopping up from the desk and looking back at his stout friend. "It's been a hard day, and Padmé probably needs my help with the kids," he said, watching as Andar nodding his head in agreement.

"I understand completely, my boy," Andar said, standing up from behind his desk. "Not to mention, she's been through quite a lot herself," he said, a knowing smile on his round, pleasant face. "I'd wager she's probably needs a little more than help with the children, from that look she gave you earlier," he said, watching as Anakin smiled curiously at him.

"Oh, I'm no Jedi," Andar chuckled, patting Anakin soundly on the back. "But I've been around long enough to learn a few thing about what a woman's saying, even when she's not speaking," he said, as he watched Anakin begin to walk slowly toward the door.

"Anakin," Andar called, somewhat reluctantly, just as Anakin reached the door and began to open it, "There's something else you need to know about Ben."

"What's that?" Anakin asked, turning and looking back at him as he pushed the door closed again.

"Some of what I'm about to share is rumor, things my associates have been hearing through the local underground," Andar said, his expression growing deeply serious as he spoke. "But some isn't. What I do know is that there's a rumor circulating that there's a very high-profile bounty hunter who's been asking a lot of questions, recently," he said, swallowing hard as Anakin walked over slowly to stand a short distance from him. "And some of those have been about Ben."

"Bounty hunter?" Anakin asked; he could feel the hair stand up on the back of his neck, as he instantly sensed the worry and concern in Andar's heart, and his voice. "What kind of bounty hunter, one of the locals?"

"No, not one of the locals, someone different," Andar sighed, watching as the tall, young Jedi Knight listened intently. "Fellow's name is Elisar, and he's got quite a reputation. From what I've been told, he's a cold-blooded bastard, very dangerous," Andar said; he paused for a moment, then continued. "And there are rumors that he might have... Imperial ties."

"Imperial ties?" Anakin asked, incredulously. "You mean... he's working for the Emperor?"

"Indirectly, yes," Andar said, nodding his head firmly. "Rumors are he's been hired by the Empire to help hunt Ben down," he said, watching as Anakin sat back down, very slowly, on the edge of the desk where he'd been sitting only a moment before. "I'm sure you're aware of the sizable bounty the Empire's placed on his head. We've heard no news directly, but it's become fairly well-known underground that Vader wants him, and wants him badly."

"This complicates things," Anakin sighed, shaking his head as he stared thoughtfully off into space for a moment. "I was hoping to avoid any more Imperial problems."

"That may prove difficult," Andar sighed, sitting down beside him on the wide, heavy desk. "The Empire has had a presence here for the past six months, maybe longer," he said, watching the young Jedi Knight as he nodded his head and sighed deeply. "And rumors are, they've all be looking for Ben."

"Figures," Anakin sighed again. "If this is true, and this Elisar is the one that has them," he said, looking back to Andar once more, "any idea where we might find him?"

"Difficult to say for sure," Andar sighed, folding his own arms tight across his broad, round chest. "Could be anywhere," Andar said, thick fingers rubbing his portly chin as he frowned thoughtfully. "I'm sad to say I've heard no such news, but it's possible that someone else might have."

"Who?" Anakin asked, curiously, has he folded his arms across his chest.

"The word is that Elisar was nosing around recently, out near your old homestead," Andar replied; he reached over and placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "It might be a good time to look up your old employer. He's one of the biggest gossipmongers in Mos Espa," he nodded. "If anything's to be learned, he'd probably be a good place to start."

"Agreed," Anakin sighed, nodding his head slowly. "Not my first choice, given the scum that hangs around that place," he said, standing up slowly and placing his hand on his forehead, as he hung his head quietly for a long moment. "But, as bad as I hate it, you may be right."

"Let's keep all of this between you and me for tonight," Anakin said, looking back at Andar again. "Padmé's been through enough today, I don't want her to find out about this until tomorrow, after she's had time to rest, okay?"

"I agree wholeheartedly," Andar said, nodding firmly as he looked up at the tall, young Jedi Knight. "When the morning does arrive, what do you think we should do, Master Jedi?" Andar asked finally, smiling respectfully at Anakin as he turned and looked back at him again.

"We'll figure that out tomorrow," Anakin sighed, doing his best to return his friend's smile. "Right now, though, the Force is telling me we have other matters to attend to," he said, as he turned and started toward the door again. "And I've got one that can't wait any longer," he said, pausing and looking back at his friend as he slowly opened the door.

"Thanks for everything, Andar," Anakin said, with a nod and a thankful smile. "We'll talk more at first light tomorrow," he said. "Good night."

"Good night, my friend," Andar sighed, watching, with a profound sense of admiration, as the young Jedi stepped out into the hallway and closed the door quietly behind him. He looked up, at the small, neatly carved plaque that hung on the nearby wall above his bookshelf.

It had been passed down to him by his father, and from his father's father before, and he intended to pass it one day to his own daughters, or perhaps to his son-in-law. The words leapt out at him, clearer than ever, as his thoughts shifted to the burden that must be resting on the shoulders of the young Jedi who had left his presence only a moment before.

_Wisdom is a thing that is earned, by way of one's heart and one's actions, not a thing that is granted simply by the passage of time._

He knew now, as clearly as ever, how true those words were. Yet he wondered, sighing deeply, as to the fairness of the world itself, in choosing to place so heavy a burden on such young shoulders.

But he couldn't imagine any others that could bear that burden any better.

* * *

Anakin placed his hand on the heavy, wooden door; its smooth, richly polished surface shone brightly in the soft, yellow glow of the lanterns that lined the hallway, and he paused, cringing slightly, as the door's squeaky hinges echoed through the corridor and the room behind it as he pushed it open and stepped quietly into the room.

He raised his fingers to his lips, as he glanced back at his little astrodroid, who followed close behind him; Artoo stopped for just a moment, as he shifted his actuator motors into low gear, and then, rolling as quietly as he could, he worked his way past Anakin as he held the door open for him, and rolled quietly to the corner of the softly lit room.

Anakin smiled, as the soft, melodic sound of Padmé's singing met his ears; he pushed the door closed slowly behind him and leaned back against it for a long moment, watching her as she glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him, and then turned her attention back to their children again.

They were almost asleep, and he closed his eyes for a moment, allowing their peaceful tremors to flow through him; he'd felt them the moment he walked into the room, and he took a deep breath and sighed, with a great sense of relief, as he stretched out his feelings toward his children. The calm, peaceful tremor was a welcome sensation indeed, one that he'd not sensed since they'd left their home on Naboo hours earlier, and he leaned back against the heavy door, folding his arms across his chest, watching and listening quietly as the words of Padmé's lullaby filled his ears, and his heart, with a welcome, familiar peace, just as the soft, flickering glow of candlelight filled the room around them.

Padmé smiled, as she watched him walk slowly over to the bed and sit down in front of her. She turned her attention back to Luke again, as she continued to sing softly, watching as her son's eyelids fluttered slowly, as she gently rubbed his back.

She stopped singing, as Luke's eyes suddenly sprang open wide. "Daddy?" Luke said, raising up on his elbows and looking up at his father, a sleepy, worried expression on his small face.

"I'm right here, Luke," Anakin said with a nod, as he reached over and brushed his hand over Luke's sandy blonde hair, tussling it gently. "Mommy and I are both right here, we're not going anywhere, I promise," he said, as he leaned down and kissed his son gently on the cheek.

"Wuz... Artoo?" Luke asked, sleepily, as he lifted his small head as high as he could, looking around the large, round room.

"He's right over there," Anakin said, pointing toward the corner of the room near the door, watching with a grin as Luke followed his hand with his bright, but sleepy, eyes. "Aren't you, Artoo?"

Anakin and Padmé both exchanged a smile, as they saw the wide grin, and the look of relief, that spread across their son's face as he saw Artoo and heard his soft whistle in reply to Anakin's voice.

"Come on, lay down and close those eyes," Anakin whispered, as he tucked him back into the bed. "You're gonna wake your sister, and that wouldn't be good."

Padmé smiled, as she watched Luke grin up at Anakin's smiling face, and then flop his head back down on the pillow beside Leia's. "Shhhh," she shushed softly, gazing quietly at them as she reached over and took Anakin's hand tightly in hers. "Mommy and Daddy are right here, baby," she whispered. "Go to sleep, okay?"

"Okay," Luke said, nodding his head as he snuggled into the pillow. "Nite," he sighed, closing his eyes and lying quietly beside Leia as Padmé gently tucked the blanket around his small shoulders. "Luvoo."

"We love you too, Luke," Anakin said, as he and Padmé both exchanged a long, quiet glance. "Very much."

They both sat there quietly for a long time, just holding tightly to each other's hand, watching as Luke sighed once or twice more, and then drifted peacefully off to sleep.

"He sensed you the minute you were coming down the hall," Padmé sighed softly, gazing at her son fondly as she squeezed Anakin's hand tightly. "I felt it," she said, looking back up at Anakin with a slightly troubled smile.

"I told him you weren't far away, and that you'd be here as soon as you could, but it wasn't good enough," she said, laughing softly as she gazed deeply into her husband's eyes. "He's just like his mother," she smiled, squeezing his hand tightly again. "He can't go to sleep until he knows you're here."

"Well, I'm just glad they're both finally asleep," he sighed, nodding his head slowly as he looked back at the twins again. "How's Leia?" he asked, his expression growing a bit more concerned as he remembered how frightened she had been earlier.

"She's fine, now," Padmé said, reaching over and tucking the blanket securely around her daughter as she spoke. "I had to rock her for a little while, but she finally calmed down," she said, watching Anakin as she reached over and placed his hand softly on his daughter's shoulder. "I didn't really mind, either," she sighed. "I think I needed it as bad as she did."

"Did you get her to eat anything?" he asked, turning his worried face back to Padmé's again.

"A little," Padmé nodded; she smiled, as she sensed the strong, soothing wave of love and devotion that traveled to her from his heart, as he gazed quietly at their children. "They're fine, baby," she said softly, watching him as he looked back at her again. "They just need a good night's sleep," she sighed, a tired, weary smile spreading across her face as she looked back at them. "They'll be their usual rambunctious selves by morning."

"How about you?" Anakin asked, sitting up and sliding closer to her on the bed, as he took both of her hands tightly in his. "I heard what you told me, earlier," he said softly, gazing quietly at her in the soft light. "Are you okay?"

She took a long, deep breath, and sighed deeply; Anakin watched her, as she gazed down at their children again. "I'm not sure," she finally said, shaking her head slowly as she turned her tired, glistening eyes back up to him. "The only thing I am sure of is that I need you," she whispered, a tired, worried expression on her face as she forced a weak smile and squeezed his hands tightly.

"Well, I'm not leaving this room again tonight," he said, very softly, as he reached over and caressed her cheek gently. "I promise."

"Good," she sighed, closing her eyes as she reached up and pressed his hand tight against her cheek. She sat there quietly for a long time, clinging tightly to his hand, until she felt him begin to stand up slowly.

"Did you talk to Owen and Beru?" Padmé asked, as she watched him stand up beside the bed and gaze back at Luke and Leia again.

"Yeah, I did," he replied, nodding his head firmly as he helped her up. "Beru was relieved, to say the least," he sighed, wrapping his arms tightly around her as she pulled him close and hugged him tightly. "I told them we'd be fine, and that we'd let them know as soon as we found out something."

"Okay," Padmé sighed, quite weakly, as she pressed her cheek close to his chest. Anakin laid his head on hers, gently stroking her long, brown hair as she clung tightly to him.

He could tell that she was troubled; he'd sensed it, when they were in Andar's speeder earlier. To be completely truthful, he didn't really understand how she was still going. This day had been a nightmare for both of them, and he could tell, instinctively, how tired she was, both physically and emotionally. "Come on," he said softly, slipping his hand under her chin and lifting her tired, troubled face toward his.

"Let's get cleaned up and get to bed," he said, as he gently caressed her cheek, watching as she closed her eyes and nodded her head in whole-hearted agreement. "We've got to get up early, and we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Maybe we can talk a little more once we get in bed, what do you think?" he asked, smiling softly at her as she gazed up at him fondly. Padmé smiled back at him, as she heard the unspoken message that his heart sent to hers, as he gazed deeply into her eyes for a long moment.

"Please," she whispered, nodding her head slowly as her tear-filled eyes searched his. She could see the concern on his face, feel it in his heart, as he placed his hands on her cheeks and, very tenderly, pressed his lips gently to hers. They stood there quietly in the soft, flickering candlelight for a long time, holding tightly to each other, until their lips finally parted.

Anakin watched her quietly, as she turned and picked up the small bag that rested on the edge of the bed where Luke and Leia slept. "Keep an eye on things, Artoo," he said, quite firmly, glancing back at their children again as he followed Padmé toward the dressing room. "You let us know if you hear the slightest noise, okay?" he said, pulling his shirt up and over his head, and tossing it onto the chair near him as he looked back across the room at their little droid.

Artoo whistled softly in reply, as he watched Anakin place his arm around Padmé's shoulder as they walked through the doorway and closed the door behind them. He swung his dome back toward the children as he brought every sensor he had online, and settled himself in for the night.

* * *

It hadn't taken them long to get ready for bed, and Anakin rubbed his hair with the towel in his hand, as he walked over to the small bed at the far side of the room, where Luke and Leia lay sleeping, quite peacefully, under Artoo's watchful eyes. He draped the towel over his shoulder, as he reached down and tightened the drawstring of his pajamas, and then knelt slowly beside them.

"They're both just fine, Daddy," Padmé said, gazing at him with a tired smile, as she watched him lean over and kiss them both gently on the cheek. "They both know that Daddy's here to watch over them," she said, gazing at him fondly as he stood up and walked slowly over toward the bed where she lay, snuggled against her pillow under the soft, thick bedclothes.

"Well, I still want to check on them," Anakin replied with a smile, sitting down on the bed beside her, still scrubbing his hair briskly with the towel in his hand.

"It's dry enough," she smiled, reaching up and taking the towel from his hand and tossing it onto the foot of the bed. "Besides, the air's warm enough, you're not going to catch cold," she said, snatching back the covers and patting the soft bed beside her. "Get in here."

"Yes, ma'am," Anakin sighed; he reached over to the control panel near the bed, turning off all but the small lamp near the bed, and then slid, somewhat stiffly, under the covers beside her.

"Oohhh," he groaned, as quietly as he could, as he flopped back against the pillow behind him. "I don't know what hurts worse," he said, grimacing painfully as he raised his arm and placed it around Padmé's shoulders as she snuggled close to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest. "My arms or my legs."

"Well, you carried them both for a long, long time," Padmé said softly, as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, pressing her body as close to Anakin's as she could. She could feel the torrent of emotions that raged inside of her, as she reached over and pulled the thick blanket up over them, and then lay quietly at his side.

"You're such a good father," she whispered, trying hard to keep her emotions under control as she held him tightly.

Padmé looked up at him, through the soft waves of thick, brown hair that hung over her eyes, as she felt him take a long, deep breath. "I hope so," he whispered, as he squeezed her shoulders tightly. "I try to be, anyway."

"You're more than a good father," she whispered, closing her eyes as she laid her head down gently on his chest again, immersing herself in the warm, comforting sensation of her skin against his. "You're a good man, the most loving, caring, wonderful man I've ever known," she said, squeezing her eyes shut as she hugged him, as tightly as she could; she could feel the tears stinging her eyes as the raging torrent of emotions began to overpower her.

"I love you so much," she whispered, her voice barely audible, as she felt the first tear begin to trickle slowly down her cheek as her body began to tremble.

Anakin had known that, when the time was right, she would open up to him, talk to him, tell him what it was that had been troubling her so much tonight, and he knew that, finally, that moment had come. He instinctively wrapped his arms tightly around her, as he felt her heart cry out to his, silently, but clearly. "Padmé," he whispered, stroking her long, thick hair gently as he felt her begin to sob softly in his arms. "What is it?" he asked, his own heart aching as he clung to her in the soft candlelight. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Ani," Padmé sobbed, as she finally let go of the emotions that had tormented her since this awful, harrowing evening had begun. "I can't get that image out of my mind..."

"What image, baby?" Anakin asked, rolling over onto his side and cradling her close to him, as she buried her face in his chest.

"Those troopers," she said, turning her tear streaked face up close to his, as she gazed into his loving blue eyes. "I killed those two troopers, Ani," she sobbed, shaking her head as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. "I've never killed anyone or anything in my life, other than a droid, before tonight," she said, her voice trembling as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, her sobs beginning to come even harder.

"You did what you had too, Padmé," Anakin said softly, lifting her face to his again, very gently. "You didn't have any choice," he said, gently wiping away some of the tears that stood on her cheeks. "Those troopers would have killed you, if you'd given them any chance at all."

"But I didn't even hesitate," Padmé said, shaking her head slowly, as another tear trickled slowly down her cheek.

"If you had hesitated, it could have cost you your life," Anakin whispered, as he gazed into her eyes, gently caressing her cheek as she listened quietly to him, still sobbing softly. "What about the one that attacked you, on the hill, the one with the rifle, remember?" he asked, watching as she nodded her head, very weakly. "You chose not to kill him, once the threat was gone. You did exactly what you should have, just what the Force was telling you to do, nothing more," he said, smiling reassuringly at her.

"Taking a life is hard, no matter why you have to do it," Anakin said, closing his eyes as he pulled her close to his chest, holding her as tightly as he could. "You just have to trust that what the Force is guiding you to do is the right thing, at that moment."

"I just never knew this was going to be so hard," Padmé whispered, her sobs still coming softly and freely, as she clung tightly to him, as tightly as she ever had.

"Neither did I," Anakin sighed, gently stroking her long, brown hair as he clung just as tightly to her. "This has been the hardest day of my life," he whispered, turning his eyes toward hers as she looked up at him quietly.

"We both knew that this was going to be hard, when we chose this path, two years ago," he whispered, as their eyes locked in the soft glow of the lantern near their bed. "But I don't think I ever realized how hard it was going to be," he said, as his own eyes began to shine as brightly as hers.

"What was so hard for you?" Padmé whispered, her eyes searching his, as she reached up and placed her hand gently on his cheek.

"Watching you run down that hill, after those two troopers, knowing that I had to let you go," he said softly, his own voice trembling as he spoke. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but I knew I had to do it."

"Why?" she asked, gazing deeply into his troubled, loving eyes as she spoke; they were as deep as the ocean, and she could feel his love washing over her, just like waves that lapped against the shore.

"Because I trust you, and I believe in you, and everything you've become," he said. "You're a Jedi now, Padmé," he said, caressing her cheek gently as he smiled proudly at her. "We're walking a path that no Jedi have ever walked before, and it's not going to be an easy one," he said, shaking his head slowly, as he glanced back over at their sleeping children again. "But I know we can walk it, as long as we have each other to hold onto," he said, turning his eyes back to hers again.

"Why do we have to do everything the hard way?" Padmé half laughed, half cried, as Anakin smiled back at her and gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks with his hands.

"Well, we started off that way, a long time ago," he laughed, gazing fondly at her as she smiled back at him. "Seems a shame to mess up something that seems to work so well, now, doesn't it?"

They laughed quietly together, as they lay snuggled close in the soft light, gazing into each other's eyes. "Can we do something, just for tonight?" Padmé finally asked, very softly, as she brought her face closer to his.

"Anything you want," Anakin whispered, nodding his head firmly. "Just name it."

"I don't want to be a Jedi anymore, not tonight," she said, shaking her head slowly. "Just for tonight, all I want to be is yours," she whispered, as she lost herself in his warm, deep blue eyes. "No lightsabers, no Force, no troopers chasing us, no anything," she said, squeezing her eyes shut tight as she shook her head firmly. "Just you and me," she said, opening her eyes and gazing up at him fondly again. Can we do that?"

Anakin wrapped his arms tightly around her, rolling up on his elbow as he pulled her close amid the soft pillows and bedclothes. "I can't think of anything else I'd rather do," he whispered, gently brushing his fingers through her thick, wavy hair as he smiled down at her.

Padmé sighed, deeply and contentedly, as Anakin pressed his lips gently to hers; she took in everything about him, his scent, the taste of his lips, the feel of his skin beneath her fingertips, with a newfound, rapturous hunger, as she moved her lips passionately over his own. "Anakin," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as he moved his soft, passionate kisses down to the nape of her neck, "I love you so very much."

Padmé giggled, as quietly as she could, as she heard his playful, muffled voice in reply. "I luff you, too," he said, as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pressed her body close to his.

Anakin glanced over toward the lamp near the bed, as he saw it begin to face slowly. He looked up at her, very suddenly, and the two of them smiled brightly in the pale light as their eyes met, and he caught sight of her outstretched hand.

"Hey," he said, smiling slyly at her as she grinned sheepishly at him. "I thought you said no Force, not tonight."

"I cheated," Padmé chuckled, pulling his head back down toward her neck again. "Go back to what you were doing," she laughed, squeezing her eyes shut, as she felt him begin to kiss her again, more passionately than he had been a moment before.

They both laughed softly, falling with helpless, blissful abandon into each others arms as, with a contented sigh, Padmé reached into the Force, for the last time tonight, and turned out the light.


End file.
